Ascent from Darkness
by light4dawn
Summary: When is the 11th hour for Jacob and Bella? It's one minute before midnight. Bella and Edward are married and she's pregnant. What can Jacob do to change the course of events? This story begins at the end of Book I of BD! Winner of 2 Torch Awards: 1st Place for Best Completed Story and 1st Place for Best Jacob!
1. Death

_**This story has won two Torch Awards! It came in first for Best Completed Story and Best Grasp of Character (Jacob)**_

_**It was also featured on Under the Radar at TwiFic Central!**_

_****WARNINGS!****_

_**Multiple character deaths (from both sides) will occur during the course of this story! I cannot guarantee anyone's life except Jacob and Bella's. Just so you know, in case it's going to really bother you.**_

_**In this first chapter there are events that some people may find disturbing**_

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><p><em>Before we begin our story I must thank the following:<em>

_**JointGifts and darcysmom from Project Team Beta**. As my first-run and second-run betas for this chapter, you have done an excellent job of combing through and finding those little (and some not so little) details that make a story more readable and genuine._

_**ShadowPast620** who pre-read this chapter for me and provided much valued insight into the flow and characterizations presented. Thank you also for the excellent attention to wording to make it all sound more natural and in character!_

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><p><strong><em>Disclaimer<em>**_:_

_The following is based on the characters, settings, and events that appear in the Twilight series of books by Stephenie Meyer. All recognizable and/or trademarked elements, including, but not limited to, characters, settings, events, plot points, dialogue, etcetera, are the property of their respective owners. No copyright infringement is intended. The author of this specific story (known by the pen name, light4dawn) is in no way associated with Stephenie Meyer, or any other affiliates involved with the Twilight series of books and the stories within. This work is intended for entertainment purposes only, and no profit is knowingly generated as a result of it. Only aspects entirely unique and original to this story are owned by this story's author._

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><p><em>Intro:<em>

_When is the eleventh hour for Jacob and Bella? Was it in New Moon or Eclipse? Do we have to go back to the dive off the cliff? Maybe it's after the newborn fight? Perhaps even later._

_It's one minute before midnight. Bella and Edward are married, and she is pregnant. What can Jacob possibly do to change the course of events? What will become of Bella, and how will she survive - physically and mentally?_

_This is a Jacob / Bella story that begins part way through Breaking Dawn. That's right, this story picks up at the end of Book I of Breaking Dawn._

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><p><em>The story opens just a few days after Bella and Edward return from their honeymoon. In canon, it would be after Book I of Breaking Dawn, but before the start of Book II.<em>

**Chapter 1 - Death**

How much longer did she need to spend on her honeymoon? It had been practically three weeks since the wedding. Bella and her leech couldn't possibly think the news of her "death" could be delayed much longer. Weren't they pretending to go away to college? Wasn't school starting soon? I mean really, it was already Labor Day for Christ's sake! They'd have to make it look like they were at least _trying_ to get back and move out east. Maybe he'd ended up killing her that first night in his pursuit to end a century of celibacy. The waiting was getting to me.

I just wanted to kill someone and run again.

Far away.

For a long time.

_Jacob, we have not decided what we will do once she returns_.

Fuck! Was I destined never to get any peace?

_You should know that I think our best strategy is to wait. If they are going to leave, there is no need to attack._

_No need? Are you fucking kidding me? The treaty will be broken!_

_She is not being forced into anything, Jacob._

_The treaty never mentioned anything about victim preference._

_The treaty was established a long time ago, and it did not take into consideration this particular ― unique ― set of circumstances. This is not a fight that can be fought without casualties on both sides._

I'd had enough. I phased back and ran on foot. Sam was turning out to be a huge pansy. I hadn't realized I had been running so close to the treaty line. Before I knew it, I had ventured into town, and I was still naked. I stopped, unstrapped my shorts from my ankle and pulled them on. After stepping out of the woods, I looked around to get my bearings. It wasn't like me to lose track of my surroundings. My mind was just not the same when _she_ entered it.

I must have been running pretty damn fast in human form, because I realized I was on the road that led right to the Cullen house. Was this fate, or had I just lost my mind? Oh well, I had already gotten this far ― no point in wasting a trip. I jogged the rest of the way up the road, turned into their driveway and started circling around trying to peer through the windows.

"This is our land." Damn. It was the blond soldier dude.

"Treaty says we just can't be phased outside our territory." I waved a hand over my body. "As you can see, I'm the most human one here."

"What are you doing here?"

"Just checking to see if the newlyweds have returned." No answer. Huh. "Also, Seth wanted to give Carlisle a message. Is he in?"

"He's lying." It was the big guy. Where the hell did _he_ come from?

"And you know this because?" I queried. Dumb jock. What the hell did he know?

"I know." He looked over at Southern Comfort and nodded. What the . . .

"I'm not lying. I'm here alone, and I want to talk to Carlisle."

"No you don't."

"What? Are you suddenly able to read my mind?" Ah-ha! Why hadn't I figured this out sooner? I was smarter than the big buffoon. They were home. That's why he knew what I was thinking.

I marched up the porch steps and pushed the door open. That's when I felt the two of them grab my arms and pull me away.

"Get your fucking hands off me!" I hollered.

Then I heard her. It was faint, but I heard.

"Jacob?"

Everyone froze, including me.

"Love, please. Don't strain yourself. I'll tell him it's a bad time."

"No, Edward! I want to see him. Are we keeping secrets from Jacob, too?"

Secrets? What secrets? Had it happened already?

Behind the voices, I heard something else. It was weak and slow, but it was a beating heart. It wasn't my heart; it was hers.

"Bella?"

"Jasper, Emmett, let him in. He won't hurt anyone, today." The only way he could know _that_ was if I was right and my mind wasn't playing tricks on me.

I ran in, nearly knocking the door off its hinges. Edward stopped my advance, his palms against my chest, but I could see her. She was lying on the couch with a blanket across her. She was pale, with dark circles under her eyes. Her lips looked gray and her body was withered. Her face was drawn and gaunt, but she smelled the same, and her heart was beating. Her eyes were brown.

"Jake."

"Bells."

"Let him in, Edward," she commanded in a sick, hoarse voice.

Edward's hands dropped to his sides, and I ran to her. I sat in front of the couch, taking one of her hands in both of mine. The blond female was there hovering over Bella, and she let out a low growl, baring her teeth at me.

"It's okay, Rose. Jacob won't hurt me, will you, Jake?" I just shook my head, unable to speak. She was home, and she was still herself.

I dropped my head onto her, relieved, worried, and enraged. That's when I realized my head wasn't resting on her. At least not any part of her I was familiar with. I pulled my head away and noticed a small lump coming up from the blanket. I looked at her again. Her cheekbones jutted out of her face, and I could see ribs right through her thin t-shirt. I looked from her face to the swelling under the blanket.

"Bells . . . what . . . "

Her hands went to the lump and . . . _caressed_ it. Shit, it couldn't be. It wasn't possible, was it? Crap, what was I talking about? Exactly what about my life would be considered possible by any normal human being? She smiled up at me, beaming.

"It's our baby." That's when I noticed the faint flutter, like the sound of a bird's heart beating. It was coming from inside Bella.

My head jerked around as I glared at Edward. He met my gaze, but not with the usual arrogance and disdain. He was a broken man. He looked lost, beaten and regretful. "I didn't know, Jacob. No one ever considered this could be possible."

"What's happening to her?"

"Why don't we step outside?"

"Just tell me what's happening!"

"It's killing her."

"Edward! I can do this!" She was trying to yell, but it came out like a fading croak. Fuck, was that what she _really_ thought?

"Get it out of her!" I wailed hysterically. The blond chick hissed and sprang at me the moment those words left my lips. Edward stopped her.

"Bella won't let us. _They_ won't let us." He jerked his head in the direction of the couch. That's when I noticed the blonde hovering over Bella with her brute next to her. Mrs. Dr. Fang stood just behind them as well. I hadn't noticed her earlier. What was in it for them?

"They want the baby, too." Mrs. Fang turned her gaze away from mine. She looked . . . ashamed when Edward said that. The blonde and her boyfriend just remained still, like statues. So that was it. The leech family had divided and picked sides, with Bella in the middle, of course. Business as usual for her, I suppose.

I looked around and wondered where the fortune teller was. She and Bella used to be glued at the hip.

"The . . . fetus gives her . . . headaches, of sorts, and prevents her from having visions. Staying away seems to help." I had forgotten what an irritating, know-it-all ass he was.

"What the hell _is_ it?" I asked, in disgust.

Finally, the doctor made an appearance. "We don't know, Jacob. The amniotic sac is not the same as in a regular human pregnancy. It's hard, like our skin, and I can't get a read from a sonogram. We know very little about it, just that it needs something it's not getting, so it's taking what it can from Bella."

I looked at Bella again, and I saw. I _really saw_ this time. That thing was sucking the life out of her, just like a leech. The only difference was it was doing it slower. I saw Edward cringe.

"It hasn't even been a month!" Hadn't she looked better than she'd ever looked just a few weeks ago? At her wedding, she was soft, warm and blushing. It was so recent that I could still feel her skin and smell her hair.

"If you're not going to do anything about it, and she wants to have . . . _it_, how is that thing going to get out?" I pointed to Bella, waving my finger around.

"From our research ― which is not very reliable ― it appears the . . . fetus will use its teeth to get out of her body." The doctor was gentle, but clinical. It was enough to send me off the deep end, though. I leaped for the couch. I didn't know what I had intended to do. I was torn between grabbing Bella to take her away and ripping that thing out of her myself. I got knocked down by the blonde. A god-damn girl! I pulled myself up, popping my dislocated shoulder back into place.

Damn. Mr. Know-it-all had his hands on me, again. "Jacob, please can we speak outside?"

"I'm tired of you and all your secrets." I pulled my arm away from his touch, wincing from the pain the movement caused. "You've got something to say, say it here! None of us get to keep secrets from you; why should you be able to keep anything from us?" Wow, did I just lump myself together with all of . . . _them_?

He ran his fingers through his hair, thinking. He let out a sigh. What a faker.

_I know you don't need to breathe, bloodsucker. Don't waste your efforts on me_.

"We have a plan . . . to get the fetus out, when it's time," he finally said.

"Yeah? Are you going to share?"

"The only thing strong enough to penetrate the sac ― if it is indeed like our skin ― is our teeth." It was a good thing I had a strong stomach, because I probably would have wretched at the pictures swimming through my mind right then. Actually, I wasn't a hundred percent sure that I _wouldn't_ lose my lunch. That's when the thought came to me.

_Vampire teeth can cut vampire skin. So can mine_.

Edward looked at me with an eyebrow raised.

_Stop snooping already. There's nothing left in there you don't already know, asshole!_

"Jake, don't worry about this. I can do it," Bella squeaked from behind us. It was one thing when she tried to be a martyr to save _him_, but she was doing it to save that . . . _thing_ now.

"Why, Bella? You can't come out of this alive. You're just going to let yourself die? What was the point in everything you've gone through, everything we've done to keep you safe? Why did you bother getting married? Why did you bother with any of this if you were going to sit back and let that . . . abomination kill you?" I saw her flinch.

"I'm not going to die." What the hell was she talking about? If the only way to get that thing out was to . . . _oh_. Shit. Shitty, shit, shit, fucking shit! Why did I keep coming back for this?

"You're not planning to come out of this human." It wasn't a question, and she didn't answer.

"I think it's time for you to leave, Jacob." Yeah, like I hadn't heard _that_ from her before. . . .

I didn't budge. We were staring at each other.

"It shouldn't be a surprise to you, Jacob. You knew what I was planning even before all this," she said in a hushed voice. I was overwhelmed with rage. It shouldn't be this way. I didn't want her to die. I had never wanted her to die, but somehow risking her life for that . . . whatever it was, made it worse.

"It was one thing when you chose _him_ over _me_, when you decided being a part of the living dead was better than being human, but now you're not choosing what you want! You're sacrificing everything so that _thing_ can live! You probably won't even survive this ― human or otherwise. You're giving up everything, me, Edward, your life, your existence for . . . _that_!" I pointed to her abdomen in disgust. "How can you say you love me, or that you love Edward, if you're willing to give it all up for a monster you don't even know!"

"I don't know why I wanted you here in the first place!" She struggled to get up into a more upright position, screaming out her words through her hoarse voice. "You are such a jerk!" She turned her gaze away from mine, but before her face left my line of sight, I saw the tears forming.

I moved to get closer, but I was enraged. I moved quicker than I should have, and before I knew it, they were all on me. Everyone had a hand on me as I growled and yelled.

"You wanted me here because you _want_ to be saved!" I screamed at her, struggling to be free from the cold hands that held me back. "You _always_ need to be saved. You always want me with you. _Always_! Why don't you _ever_ know your own mind? _Why, Bella_?"

The Cullens restrained me, but tried not to harm me. I guess she still cared enough that she didn't want me dead. Yeah ― how comforting.

All of them had their eyes locked on me. I was the only one looking at Bella. She had _that_ look on her face now. It was the same one she had that day, just before she punched me.

"I _know_ what I want, and I don't need _you_, for _anything_!" Without taking her blanket off, she sprang up off the couch. She stood between the glass coffee table and the white sofa.

"Love, sit down. You shouldn't be standing." Edward left me and went to Bella. He reached over to her from the other side of the coffee table and nudged her towards the couch.

"I am not an invalid!" She jerked her arm away from him.

_Yeah, you keep saying that, baby, and maybe it might come true. Not._

Edward looked over and scowled, letting go of her arm as he did so.

"What, Edward? What is he thinking? Tell me!"

"Don't bother asking him; I'll tell you. I was thinking you _are_ an invalid, and at the rate you're going, you're going to be a complete vegetable in . . . what? A week? How fucking far along are you? You can't be more than . . . " I did some quick counting in my head, "three weeks." Three weeks? I turned to Dr. Fang. "Seriously, three weeks? When is she supposed to deliver? What the fuck? Is that the bride of Chucky in there?"

"What's in here is my perfect, beautiful and talented son, you _stupid doofus_!"

"By our best estimates, she should be at full term by the fourteenth of this month," the doc answered, ignoring Bella's outburst.

"Please, love, sit down." Now Eddie boy was beside her, pulling her towards the seat, but she was struggling with him. I could tell he didn't want to force the issue.

"Edward, I swear I'm going to scream if you tell me to sit down one more time! If you want to be helpful, walk me over there, so I can belt that stupid mutt!" I guess it was true what they said about hormones and pregnancy.

"Let me carry you, love."

"For heaven's sake, get your hands off me! I'm barely even showing yet! Just let go of me! Now!" Man, that was loud. Her whole face, neck, ears and even hands went red when she shouted. I saw veins popping on her forehead. Edward took a step back in shock.

Now the blonde was over there, grabbing Eddie-boy. I guess no one wanted to keep touching me. All the better for me.

"Edward, do as she asks. Don't get her upset. You know it's not good for the baby," the blonde scolded.

Eddie looked over at her and snarled. Out loud. Guess she wasn't his favorite sister . . . She led him away a bit, to the other side of the room, where they started having one of their speed-speaking moments. This time, it was a whisper argument. I guess they didn't know I could hear it all.

_You got to be quicker than that to get past these ears, Eddie-boy._

Again, he snarled at me. Really, what did he expect? If he was going to read my mind, did he really think I wasn't going to have my say? For shit's sake, _he_ was the one doing the mind reading! I'd say he wasn't in a position to complain.

So the siblings were squabbling in their Flash Gordon, whispered argument, while Doc Fang was telling me about the rate of growth of Bella's abdomen, estimated this and that and whatever. I was kind of tuning him out but nodding to be polite. The guy had fixed me up. I kind of owed him at least that much. Bella was still standing on the other side of the coffee table with that same look on her face, staring me down. I gave her one of my yeah-I'm-a-jerk-but-I-don't-care-because-I'm-right smiles. She hated those. That's when she moved.

She took one step. That's right, just one step. I wouldn't even call it a full step because she ended up slipping on the blanket before her foot completely came in contact with the floor. Most people, when they trip, fall back. Of course, Bella has to fall forward. She fell and hit her abdomen on the corner of the coffee table. I heard a loud crack, like stone on glass. There were more cracks from inside her body, and the fluttering heartbeat became irregular before it slowed.

Edward and Blondie got to Bella just in time for one of them to grab her head before it hit the floor.

I smelled it before I saw it. I rammed my body into the big guy without phasing. He was too close to Bella to risk it. It hurt like hell, and it only knocked him ― unscathed ― to the other side of the room. The blonde started hissing and baring her teeth at Bella, but Edward was on her. He knocked her out the window. On his way back, he lifted the big guy up and tossed him out too. They didn't look like they were putting up much of a fight. Mrs. Fang was covering her mouth with her hands as she ran out the front door.

By the time I looked back at Bella, there was a pool of blood forming beneath her. Her face was crumpled in agony, and she was screaming loud enough to call the devil himself.

"They're in distress, both of them," Dr. Fang barked, as Edward moved to get Bella off the floor.

"Bella, love, this is my fault. I should have walked you over when you asked." He lowered his head onto Bella and looked like he could be crying. He didn't fool me. I knew leeches couldn't cry. "Forgive me, love." He needed to get his shit together.

I looked over at the doc. He noticed Edward losing it too. "Jacob, we would appreciate your help." I just nodded and followed him and Edward upstairs. Edward was holding Bella as a trail of blood followed them. He kept blathering on about how he had done this to her, that he should have given her what she wanted and blah, blah, blah. Fuck, did she actually like this shit? I could understand getting my heart ripped out and served to me a thousand times by the girl I loved, but did it have to be over this cheesy sap?

She was set down on a table in what looked like an operating room. Man, they had some set up.

Edward had finally gotten himself composed and was moving around frantically, getting Bella hooked up onto all sorts of things and giving her medication.

"Wh . . . what's . . . happening? T . . . too . . . early! The . . . b . . . baby!" Bella was struggling in every way possible, fighting to stay conscious.

"Bella, love, the baby has to come out. You'll die otherwise." She'll _die_? Now?

"Bella, I am quite sure the placenta has separated from the uterine wall. The baby is in distress and will die if we don't deliver it now," Carlisle explained. Before she could speak, a mask was placed on her, covering her mouth and nose. Her eyes fluttered shut. Edward looked at Carlisle, who nodded, and then he lowered his head to Bella's swollen abdomen.

"No!" I pushed Edward's head away from her. "She wanted a baby, and this one might not make it. If you bite her she might _never_ have one. _I'll_ do it." Did I really just offer to rip Bella open with my teeth?

"Are you sure?" Edward asked. I nodded, but I wasn't really as confident as I sounded. Edward knew that, but he still stepped out of the way, so I could take his place. Of course. He'd do anything to give her what she wanted.

"Where?" I asked. Carlisle drew a line with a marker that went from her belly button right down to where the soft hairs began. It wasn't the same as it had been in my fantasies, not even close.

"Just bite down and you'll feel the amniotic sac. It will be like our skin. Try your best to get through that, but nothing more." I nodded in reply to Carlisle's directions. "Now, Jacob. There is no time to waste."

I took a deep breath and sank my teeth into her flesh. The minute her skin broke, I thought I was going to lose it. It was all wrong. The skin was soft, warm and tasted of human blood, _her_ blood. My teeth weren't supposed to bite _this_. Then I felt that hard, cold layer pressing on my teeth. It was the same as those newborns I had killed a few months before, but without the burning scent. I had no trouble cracking that apart. That was when I felt the heat. It was hotter than Bella's blood, almost as hot as me. I jerked back, shocked. Hands pushed me away, while another set grabbed the hot mound of blood and tissue.

I stepped back, wiping my mouth with my arm, and fell to the ground. I stared at Carlisle as he moved at lightening fast speed repairing Bella. Edward had his back to me, working on something at a table. It was probably the baby. It didn't make a sound.

There was blood everywhere, including the inside of my mouth. I could taste it. That was when it all hit me. I turned away from the gruesome scene and heaved as everything in my stomach landed on the floor beside me. I was on my hands and knees, coughing up blood, food and bile.

"No! Do something, Edward! Save her!" I thought it was Bella talking but realized she was unconscious. That was when I noticed the blonde was back and she was frantic, hovering over Edward. I growled in her direction. She ignored me. To be honest, she looked more interested in the monster on the table than me or the blood. I crawled closer to Bella, just in case.

The once-fluttering heartbeat was so weak and slow that it was beginning to fade, even for _my_ ears. It sputtered at irregular intervals, and then it stopped completely. I had wanted the thing to die, but when the flutters stopped, I was overwhelmed with loss. It was like a part of Bella had died. I guess it had. I fell to the floor onto my stomach. It was like my bones were no longer able to hold my body up. Something in my world felt displaced.

"It's too late, Rose. The baby wasn't developed enough, and she wasn't getting the nutrients she needed." Edward gave up trying, and the blonde grabbed the bloody mass away from him.

"No, no, no! She's more than human! She has to be strong enough to survive this!" Now she was bent over the baby, trying to save it. Edward backed away and made his way to Bella's side. I looked up and noticed Carlisle was cleaning up around her. I guess there were advantages to having a leech as your surgeon.

"The bleeding has mostly stopped. We didn't need to do a hysterectomy. If a baby is what she wants, she should still be able to have one. Let's get her out of here," the doc told me. I nodded and tried to get up, but my head was spinning, and I fell back down. I felt that cold hand on my shoulder again.

"Thank you, Jacob, for keeping her alive," Edward said to me before wheeling Bella out.

I fell back, staring up at the ceiling, trying to get my shit together. I heard a loud thump and turned my head toward it. It was the blonde. She had collapsed onto the floor, her head in her hands.

"It's no use. It was my only chance. She's dead; she's dead!" She looked up and stared at me with hate in her eyes. "It's _your_ fault! You got her upset!" She lunged for me, and I phased without even getting up first. I could hear instruments, lights and walls falling, breaking and collapsing around me. My teeth sank down into her thigh. I threw her into the doorway. The big guy appeared, and he grabbed me around the neck. I twisted and leaped, trying to get him off me. His body whipped side to side, and I got a hold of his foot. I noticed the blonde was up and ready to attack. I threw her boyfriend's body right into her, knocking both of them into the wall. I was going to lunge for them when Edward and the fortune teller appeared.

"Jacob, stop! Bella will need you!" That calmed me down ― a little. The two of them moved to the big guy and the chick, restraining them and talking them into leaving. I was alone in the room. In the bloody room. I listened with my wolf ears, and I could hear a heartbeat. It was _her_ heart. I didn't bother phasing back. I didn't give a shit what I destroyed in their house. I hoped I demolished the whole damn place. I ran out the already broken doorway of the bloody room, found a window downstairs, and leaped into the warm summer air as broken glass showered down on me.

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><p><em>My goal is to update this story every five days. I am going to do the best that I can. Be on the lookout for updates!<em>


	2. Driving

_My new beta and I have been working at a very good pace, so I've decided to post this ahead of schedule. If things go on like this, the story may update twice a week on a regular basis._

_Thank you evelyn-shaye and fmfg of Project Team Beta for beta'ing this chapter. You provided me with valuable advice and perspective, in addition to catching all those pesky little errors._

_Thank you also to ShadowPast620 for reading and reviewing this chapter with me. Your ever available ear is just what I need when I'm going crazy. You are the best!_

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><p><strong><em>Disclaimer<em>**_:_

_This story is based on the characters, plotlines, settings, and others from__ Stephenie__ Meyer's Breaking Dawn and the rest of the Twilight Saga. The original characters and are the property of Stephenie Meyer. No copyright infringement is intended._

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><p><strong>Chapter 2 - Driving<strong>

How much longer would I be this way? I couldn't keep coming up with excuses to get out of patrol shifts, but I just couldn't let all of them know what had happened in my head since that day. The good thing was, since I already had a mental moment earlier in the summer when I ran away, Sam was more than willing to let me mope around for the time being. The last thing he needed was more angst in the pack collective.

It had been four days since the surgical debacle, and the Cullens had already established their story. I knew because Charlie and Billy shared everything now. It started happening last winter and it never stopped. I swear, they had some single dad club started.

The story Charlie got was that the happy couple had returned from South America, but Bella had some nasty, tropical disease. Carlisle sent a letter to Dartmouth letting them know why she and Edward would be starting later. Charlie saw Bella over at the Cullen place and, no surprise, he was completely convinced she was sick.

Personally, I hadn't heard from any of them. Not even Bella. To be honest, I couldn't even be pissed about it. There was too much going on in my head. I kept feeling . . . bad. I couldn't shake it, and the worst part was, I didn't know what the fuck I was feeling so badly about. It was like I had lost something that meant . . . everything. I thought it was because I had lost Bella to the leech, but that ship had sailed long ago. If anything, things were better now because she was human, which was more than I thought I'd have a week ago. The only thing I could compare this to was when my mom died.

It was a Friday, and I was actually back at school. It was unbelievable that, even after destroying an army of vampires and performing a Caesarean Section with my teeth, I had to return to eleventh grade! I planned to tell Billy that I just wanted to quit altogether, but I had to get out of the house. I wasn't ready to share anything with the pack, so I couldn't phase. I didn't want to hang around at home because Rachel had come home ― for good ― and Paul had imprinted on her, which meant he was around all the time, too. In light of my options, school seemed like the lesser evil.

So here I was, sitting in English class, listening to my teacher drone on about MacBeth and the horrors of war, when one of the office staff came knocking on the door. She went over and whispered to the teacher. Of course, I heard everything ― wolf hearing was superb for eavesdropping.

"There's a phone call for Jacob Black. Apparently, something urgent,"she said.

The teacher looked over at me, suspiciously. "Who is it from?" he whispered.

"The hospital." They both looked over at me. I gave them a smile. The teacher nodded and the lady took a step back.

"Jacob, you need to go with Mrs. Reynolds."

I nodded, gathered my things and followed her to the office. I was led to the only telephone in the entire school ― it was a small school ― and I took a seat in the old chair next to it.

"Hello?"

"_Jacob, __I __told __them __I __was __Carlisle __to __ensure __they __would __let __me __speak __to __you_." Asshole. What the hell did he want now?

"What the fuck? You're calling me at school?" The ladies turned and stared at me. Crap. I never had any privacy, no matter where I went. I hissed a little more quietly, "Did something happen to her? Did you _do_ something to her?" He'd better not have changed her, but I couldn't think of any other reason why he'd call me. In fact, I was pretty sure he wouldn't have called, even for that.

"_I __can't __say __anything __further __over __the __phone __. __. __. __there's __no __privacy __here_." Okay, I got why _I_ never had any privacy, but why didn't he? "_Can __we __meet?_"

"Look, I appreciate you getting me out of one dumb-ass boring class, but I'm not about to spend the day bonding with you in return."

"_Jacob, __please. __It's __for __Bella._" Fuck. It was always about her. And I always said yes.

"Yeah, but it's for you, too, isn't it?" There was no answer. "Look, I've been raked over the coals one too many times. I'm not doing anything else for you unless there's something in it for me_._"

"_Tell __me __what __it __is __you __want, __Jacob, __and __I'll __give __it __to __you._"

"You know what I want."

"_That's __not __mine __to __give._"

"You could just disappear."

"_Not __now. __But __let __us __get __back __to __our __. __. __. __meeting. __How __about __if __we __went __for __a __drive? __You __can __do __the __driving._"

"Again, what's in it for me?"

"_I'll __bring __the __Aston __Martin. __You __can __go __wherever __you'd __like __while __we __talk._" Shit, he had an Aston Martin? I was stubborn, but I loved cars, and I knew I'd never get another chance to drive one of _those_. He _did_ say it was just to talk . . . "_I'm __a __superb __radar __detector, __one-hundred __percent __accurate._" Well, that did it.

"It'll be just you?"

"_Yes._"

"Treaty line in fifteen." I didn't wait for an answer before hanging up. I knew he'd be there.

I got there before he did. My wolf was faster than his six-figure car. I made sure I ran through every puddle and muddy pool on my way over just because I was that bitter. The car pulled up, and it took a lot of effort _not_ to look like I was impressed. Shit. I'd never seen one of those in real life. I had to keep myself from stroking the hood and drooling. It was that great.

He got out of the driver's side, removed a blanket that was on the seat, left the door open and came around to the passenger side. I went over, peeked in and instantly regretted my mud-covered state. As much as I wanted to piss him off, this car was a thing of beauty, and it was a shame to soil it like that. I made a pathetic attempt at brushing some of the dirt off me, but it didn't work. I was thinking of asking for the blanket, but I saw him toss it into the woods. Ah. He was trying to reduce the stink. Well, nice of him to care. Too bad I didn't give a shit. I shrugged and sat down, feeling mud squish beneath my bottom and onto the leather seat. He didn't comment.

I was adjusting the seat and mirrors when a pack of wet wipes appeared in front of me.

"To wipe off some of my scent, if you prefer." I snatched them from his hand and wiped up whatever was within my reach.

"Do you mind if we leave the windows open?" I asked, wrinkling my nose.

"Actually, I insist."

The gas tank was full, and I knew where I wanted to go. The car just flew. It was great; I could almost forget about the stench, but I couldn't forget about him, because he started to talk. Fucking killjoy.

"She's slipped into that dark place again, just like she did last winter."

"Yeah? Well, surprise, surprise, you did it again. It's the only thing you get right, isn't it? No one drowns her in misery the way you do." I heard a hiss, but there were no snide remarks in return.

"She won't eat or speak to anyone. She doesn't even get out of bed. Carlisle is considering putting her on an IV so she doesn't starve herself."

Oh crap. I wanted to tell him this was _his_ problem, not mine. She had made her choice and it wasn't me, but I couldn't. I lifted my foot off the pedal and pulled over. I was just never going to be allowed to enjoy anything ever again.

"She needs you, Jacob. You made her better before, and she needs you to do it again." Yes, of course. It was going to be the same thing again. I'd do all the work, feel all the pain, and he'd get the prize. Again.

"If she wants to be with you, after all this is resolved, I won't interfere." Couldn't he just mind his own damn business? He was the one asking _me_ for a favor, wasn't he? "I try, Jacob. For whatever reason, your thoughts are very difficult to block out, especially when there are no others around."

"Yeah, I'm sure you try real hard. So why the need to meet at all? You can't leave the house to make a phone call?"

"You have very . . . unorthodox ideas sometimes. Your mind works very differently than mine. I wasn't sure what would come out of our conversation, so I wanted to make certain any decisions that needed to be kept . . . confidential would remain so."

"I don't get it. . . . You guys have another mind reader I don't know about?"

"Alice."

"Huh?"

"If I make a decision, she will see it. If it is made in your presence, she won't." Oh yeah. I had forgotten how her mutation worked. "I wouldn't exactly call it a mutation." Really? Again?

"Can you at least _pretend_ not to read my mind?" I interjected. "You know, just to be polite."

"Yes, of course."

So whatever went down here with the two of us, one thing was certain. I was going to help Bella. There was no way around it. Well, if I was going to do this, I might as well get something out of it. Of course, he already knew all this. Fucking prick. I hated this. Why did I bother even wasting my breath?

"Did you want me to continue to pretend?"

"Yes! And shut the fuck up until I decide what I want to say, out loud!"

I let out a frustrated scream, pulled out of the shoulder and put my foot down on the gas pedal as far as it would go. He was going to need new tires after today. Good thing I didn't give a shit.

"First, I'm not doing this at your house. If for no other reason, it just smells too damn bad."

"She won't leave."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever. What you mean is she won't leave for _you_. If I can get her out of your house, I can take her wherever I want to."

"Nowhere against her will."

"Yeah, that's a given. I'm not going to _force_ her to do anything. _I_ don't force _anyone_ to do anything."

"I can agree to that, as long as she is safe. You have to stay in contact with me."

"Fine, but I'm not going to _make_ _her_ talk to you."

"Unless she wants to."

"Yeah, whatever. And there's no time limit and no interference. Got it?"

"Unless she has had enough, of course."

"Of course."

"And you keep her human, always." I knew it was a long shot, but who could blame me for trying?

"I can't promise that, not if she chooses otherwise."

"Then I can't help you."

"You will. Not for me, but you will." He was a prick, but he was right. I would. _Jake, __you __are __**such **__a __pansy_.

"So, she's been like this since . . . the baby died?" I asked.

"Yes, but it's about more than the baby." I looked over with my eyebrow raised. "She wants another baby, _my_ baby. I tried to convince her to do it in some other way, a safer way, but she won't have it."

"What safer way?"

"To have a baby, but not necessarily mine."

"Oh." This was getting too weird. Honestly? For once, I really felt like I had too much information.

"Am I still pretending?"

"Yes!" Shit, this guy just _never_ got it.

"Well, that's the reason why she won't speak to me. She's sad about the loss, of course, but refusing food is her way of fighting me. Our family has been torn because of this. Rosalie and Esme are on Bella's side so Carlisle and Emmett won't do anything to oppose them. Perhaps leaving the house really would be best."

"Okay, so when do we do this?"

"Whenever it is most convenient for you, Jacob. The sooner the better."

_Convenient, __nice, _I thought. _Like __this __would __ever __be __convenient. __Man, __if __only __I __could __just __drive __like __this __forever. __It __would __be __just __awesome __to __drive __along __the __coastline __to __California __in __this __baby_. I was stirred out of my thoughts when I felt something land on my lap. I looked down and noticed that Edward had tossed me a gas card.

"What's this? Too sunny for you to pump gas?"

"You don't have forever, but you're free to drive this wherever you'd like for a couple of days. You can pull over and let me out. I can make my own way back. If I may be so bold . . . I would like to leave you some money, not charity, of course. I recognize I asked you to meet me on short notice. Just something so you can purchase a change of clothes. Should anyone see you with this car dressed like that they may get the wrong idea."

"Sure, sure. Go ahead, be bold." I was taking the leech's car; what difference did it make if I took some cash while I was at it? He'd already taken my girl. He owed me.

"This is not payment for her! She cannot be purchased!"

"Still pretending!" I interjected, again. He closed his mouth into a thin, tight line.

I pulled over onto the shoulder, and Edward got out before the car came to a complete stop. There was a white envelope on the passenger seat. I took it, shoved it into my pocket and pressed down on the accelerator.

I drove for three days. Well, not three days straight. I did stop to sleep, eat, shop and sit around. At first, I was all bitter about using the leech's money, but then realized if he was just handing me the keys to _this_ car without a second thought, then that money was nothing but pocket change to him. Of course, that thought made me bitter all over again, except this time it made me want to spend every single cent.

I stayed on the interstate until I got to Salem and decided to drive along the coast, even if it was slower. Every time I stopped for gas, I made sure I bought as much crap as I could with his gas card. It's amazing the stuff they sell at gas stations. I spent every single penny the bloodsucker left in that envelope once I got to San Francisco. It was a lot. The way back was much faster because I stayed on the interstate. It was also not as much fun.

On the way down I was breathing in the ocean air, enjoying the scenery and the car. When it was time to go back, I was just on the interstate, away from the ocean, and all my thoughts strayed to Bella. As I approached Forks, I decided to go straight to the Cullens' place. There was no reason to delay, and to be honest, I couldn't show up on the reservation with _this_ car.

Of course, he was waiting for me on the front porch as I eased onto the driveway. Man, I had no idea what I was going to do. To be honest, I wasn't sure how I did it the first time around. I was just . . . being _me_ last winter. I took a deep breath, got out of the car and walked up to the front door of the house. Edward nodded to me, and watched as I went inside.

The blood from last week was all gone, and the house looked antiseptic with the colorless decor. The short, dark haired female met me in the main room and directed me upstairs. I followed her, still with no clue as to what my plan was. I was led to a long hallway when the small leech stopped.

"It's the last door at the end." She turned and walked away.

It only took two strides for me to reach the door. I stopped, just staring at the doorknob for a few minutes, wondering if I should knock. I couldn't remember if Edward had mentioned if Bella was talking. I decided I couldn't afford to give her the opportunity to tell me to leave. This was my last chance to get her out of here and away from _them_. I pushed the door open, gingerly, and peered in. She was lying in bed, propped up on pillows, reading a book.

Bella looked better than the last time I had seen her. She had a little color now, and while she was still thin, she didn't look like a skeleton. She also looked worse. Last week she was physically frail, but now her eyes looked empty. It _was_ the same as last winter. She was the zombie again.

She hadn't noticed me enter, so I knocked on the open door. She looked up, ready to snap, but saw it was me and smiled. That made me feel much better. She wanted to see _me_ and not _them_. Her smile got bigger and a small giggle escaped. Wow, my presence alone did _that_? I was good.

"Jacob, you have clothes on!"

I looked down at myself and realized I was more dressed up then she had ever seen me.

During the drive, my first stop earned me a lot of leery looks. I decided I really did need to look like I could afford the car, so I found some fancy men's shop and the salesperson talked me into a whole bunch of expensive, designer stuff. It was pretty damn pretentious looking, but it all fit properly.

"Yeah, I kind of had to wear something more . . . suitable."

"Why? Were you at a wedding or something?" I guess he hadn't told her.

"Something like that."

"Well, you look really nice."

"Thanks. You look like shit."

"Thanks. I think." She rolled her eyes but smiled. I walked over and sat on the edge of her bed.

"Hey, want to blow this joint? It smells like crap in here."

She turned her head away from me and stared out the window. The book she was reading fell from her hands into her lap. I grabbed it before her page was lost and set in down on the night table after shoving a receipt from my pocket into it to mark her page. I glanced at the cover. She was reading Joseph Conrad? That wasn't her usual forté, but I guessed she wasn't exactly herself right now.

"There's nothing for me out there."

"Well, I hear you're not getting anything you want in here, either."

"You can leave now." Of course, that's how it ended up coming out. It didn't help that chicks always thought our minds were in the gutter.

"Aw, come on, Bells. You know I didn't mean it like that!" She raised an eyebrow. "Okay, okay, you don't know I didn't mean it like that. I get it. I've been a jerk, but I actually didn't . . . you know . . . mean it like that."

"Fine, but I don't want to go anywhere."

"Okay. We can talk here, but you know it won't be private."

"I don't care because I'm not going to talk."

"Yeah, because all those times you said you weren't going to talk to me, you were actually able to do it."

She let out a loud, exaggerated sigh and flipped the blanket off.

"Can we go wherever I want?"

"Of course. Er . . . as long as I don't need a passport because I don't have one. Oh yeah, and it has to be on your dime because I don't have any money on me either. Uh . . . I also need to borrow a car." Talk about being unprepared. . . . I was feeling pretty idiotic when I saw a smile form on her ashen face.

"Don't worry. I've got all of that covered." She grabbed some stuff from the dresser and went into the en-suite bathroom, closing the door behind her. "You really know how to impress a girl, don't you, Jacob?"

I plopped myself on the bed with my hands behind my head. She had giggled, smiled and gotten out of bed, and it was all for _me_. _This_ was how I did it last winter. I just had to be with her, alone. That was fine. That was the way it should be. I closed my eyes and remembered that kiss we shared before the newborn battle. I could almost taste her as I thought about how soft and warm her skin was beneath my lips. . . . Shit!

I jumped off the bed, cursing myself. I had forgotten where I was. Edward was probably in my head. I _really_ had to leave this place, _now_. Probably for him, as much as me. Not that I gave a shit about _him_.

Bella came out wearing sweats and a hoodie, her usual uniform. She grabbed a bag from the closet and shoved a toiletry bag, a few items of clothing and her wallet into it. I took her hand and led her out the door. As we walked through the long hallway, I could hear movement and hushed voices. They weren't all there, but _he_ was, and someone else. By the time we started going downstairs I saw them. It was Edward and the fortune teller. Miss Crystal Ball handed me a gigantic roller bag.

"These are your . . . purchases that were left in the car. I wore gloves to pack them so they wouldn't smell so much. The clothes you purchased were very nice. You have good taste."

"Ah . . . thanks." It felt weird getting a compliment from a leech.

Edward handed me a cell phone. "Our numbers are saved in there. Please update us, even if it's just a text."

"Sure, sure." Well, this was awkward. Here I was taking his . . . wife, and he was asking me to text him. Bizarre. Of course it was bizarre. It was _my_ _life_, wasn't it?

Bella was pulling on my hand, so I just nodded and let her lead me. When we got to our destination, I just froze and stood in awe. It was a gigantic garage with all their cars. There was the Aston Martin, a yellow Porsche (it was a turbo, too), an M3 convertible, a monster jeep, a Ducati, an AMG Mercedes, a fucking Guardian (what the hell?), and something under a tarp. Oh yeah, and his shitty silver Volvo. I hoped we weren't taking that one. I didn't have too many warm and fuzzy feelings about that one.

"So, which one are we taking?" I asked.

"I only have keys for my car." Bella rolled her eyes and pressed down on the button in her hand. The Guardian made a quiet beep as its lights flashed.

"Seriously? _That's_ your car?"

"Yeah. I don't want to talk about it. If you want to go, let's go before I change my mind."

"Okay. Can I drive? Please?"

"It's _my_ car!"

"Yeah, but you get to drive it all the time. This is the only chance I'll ever get to drive one of these. . . . "

"Fine. Here, I don't even care about cars." She tossed me the keys and walked over to the passenger side. I put the bag in the trunk and got in beside her. Man, this was turning out to be one nice week for driving.


	3. Night

_Thank you to tiffanyanne3 and Jennrosee of Project Team Beta who were the first and second run betas for this chapter._

_Thank you to ShadowPast 620 for being my pre-reader and shrink._

_For those who have left reviews anonymously, or with names, but were not logged in, thank you for reading and reviewing my fic! I'm sorry I couldn't reply personally to your comments._

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><p><strong>Chapter 3 - Night<strong>

We had been driving aimlessly for about fifteen minutes when I decided I should probably ask where she'd like to go. I didn't want to say anything at first because she was just staring out the window while I bitched and complained about Paul and Rachel. It seemed to keep her calm, my nattering that was. I remembered that. She used to like sitting in the garage just sort of zoned out, but still listening, while I talked about school and my friends.

"So, where we going?" I asked.

"Hmm . . . I don't know. Some place where no one knows me."

"Well, I guess that eliminates Forks and Phoenix. Anyplace else?"

"Not really. Well, Jacksonville but that's kind of far."

"Hey, I have the bottomless gas card. No place is out of my reach." I waved the bloodsucker's card in the air, and she looked over, smiling weakly.

"Oh yeah? How about Montreal? Maybe we can learn a little French?"

"Yeah! See, that's what I'm talking about. The drinking age is eighteen there, so you can totally get wasted. Plus, I can pass for eighteen, no problem!" She snickered at me. "What?"

"I thought you couldn't leave the country."

"Crap. Wait! We don't need a passport to get into Canada ― not yet. I can use my birth certificate and driver's license. Do you have yours?"

"I have my wallet with me, and it has everything, but you're sixteen."

"So?" Her face broke out into a real smile.

It made me all warm, until I found out what she was smiling about.

"You need a note from your daddy to cross the border without him," Bella snickered. I grumbled some obscenities under my breath before pulling over to the side of the road.

"Okay, smart-ass. Where do you feel would be an appropriate place to travel to with a minor?" She shrugged. "That's helpful, Bells." Crap, her eyes were watering. "Shit. Sorry, Bells. I didn't mean it like that. I was just joking."

"It's not you. I just . . . you wouldn't understand."

"You're probably right, but I'm willing to listen."

"You'll be judgmental."

"I promise I won't be."

"I don't think you're capable."

"Sure, I am. If I judge, you can have the lifetime of servitude back, no strings attached." She smiled again as she wiped the tears from her face. I really wanted to reach over and hold her, but it was too soon.

"I'm sad about the baby." She looked at me, probably waiting for some snarky remark, but I said nothing. "I also want another one, but only if it's mine and Edward's." That was a little more effort, but I held my breath to keep from saying anything. "I also can't stand how Edward doesn't seem as upset about losing her ― our daughter. It was a girl." I nodded. I remembered hearing the blonde make some reference to that effect. "He's so happy I'm okay, and still human. He never talks about her.

"I'm also not sure if Edward really did everything he could to save her. Rosalie said he stopped trying the second her heart stopped beating, but he could have continued. People get resuscitated all the time, and she was half-vampire! She should have survived!"

Okay, this was hard. I wasn't sure if the lifetime of servitude was worth it. I didn't know what else to do. I reached over and gave her a one-armed hug. She smelled so nice. As I moved back from our embrace, I stopped to give her a quick peck on the cheek.

"I'm sorry I can't be more helpful, Bells. I don't understand everything that's going on, but I know how you feel, sort of." She looked up at me, surprised. I guess I hadn't really talked about it much with her. "You know, when my mom died."

"Oh, yeah."

"You don't know this, but I was upset with Billy back then."

"Why?"

"For a couple of reasons. It's kind of embarrassing saying them out loud because I know I was wrong, but back then . . . I was just a kid, and I didn't know any better."

"You can tell me, if you want to." She was looking at me, trying to soothe my ages old pain. She was just too much, just too good.

"I was mad because Billy was in the car, and I felt like he could have saved her. It seemed wrong that he survived when she didn't. Then, later, I was upset because he didn't seem as sad as me, Rach and Beck. I know better now . . . I mean he had three young children to take care of. He couldn't just go around crying and having a breakdown all the time. It's just that to me, to a kid, it seemed like he didn't care."

"That's what it's like at the Cullen house. Even Rosalie doesn't seem all that upset about my daughter. I hate saying this, but most of the time she seems upset that she's lost something she wanted instead of being upset that a child died ― my child." Bella shrugged and continued, "Maybe it's like it was with Billy. Maybe they're all being strong for me."

Great, Jake. You're doing such a spectacular job of cheering her up that you're making a coven of vampires look good, I thought to myself. Sometimes, I was just such an idiot!

"I have no one to talk to at that house. Alice won't say anything to me. I think she's glad my baby's gone. I have a feeling she thinks it would have been something bad because it was causing her so much pain when I was pregnant. Edward won't touch me, and he refuses to listen when I want to talk about trying again."

I was going to agree with Edward ― Has hell frozen over? ― but remembered my promise not to be judgmental.

"Well, I'll listen. That's why I'm here. First, how about we go somewhere? I don't think the side of the road is going to feel so great soon. I'm getting hungry." I gave her what I thought was my most charming smile, just as my stomach growled.

"Does Leah eat like the rest of you, too?"

"Not quite as much, but more than any normal grown _man_ I know. She's got better table manners, though."

"That'd be interesting to see. So, where should we go?"

"Seattle? You don't know anyone there, do you?" I asked.

"Seattle sounds good. Can we just check into some hotel and get takeout? I don't want to be around crowds."

"Sure, sure." I started the engine, pulled out onto the road, and made my way to Seattle.

We got there faster than I'd ever gotten there before ― nothing like a brand new, limited edition Mercedes to do the job. We took the longer route around Tacoma to avoid taking a ferry, but we were still settled and eating dinner in three hours.

Bella picked the place. I was really happy I had all those new clothes because it was a pretty fancy hotel. The television was on some cop drama, and we were having a dinner of pizza and soda. Both of us were pretty quiet, just commenting on the show for most of the meal.

When the show ended, I heard Bella take a deep breath before asking me, "Jake, if I ask you something, will you answer truthfully?"

"Sure."

"I mean it, even if you think it'll hurt my feelings. You know I'll know if you're lying."

I rolled my eyes but nodded. She took a deep breath, seemingly afraid to go ahead as planned.

"Are you glad my daughter died?" Well, if that wasn't the million dollar question, I didn't know what was. We just stared at each other for a minute. I couldn't answer right away. I didn't know how.

"Okay, I'm going to be honest, and you can't get mad at me." She nodded. "When I saw you pregnant, and how it was sucking the life out of you, all I wanted to do was get it out. I wanted it to die." She flinched and moved her gaze from mine. "But after it was over, something strange happened to me." Bella turned to look at me again, curious. "I felt really . . . sad. It was like a part of me had been taken away. The only time I remember having that feeling was when my mom died. Maybe it's because the baby was a part of you. I wouldn't be able to not be affected by anything that was a part of you, Bells."

She kept staring at me, searching my eyes for any trace of deceit. Satisfied, she made her way over to me and held me. I wrapped my arms around her, burying my face in her hair. She slowly left my arms and sat next to me, holding my hand.

"Can I ask you something now?" I asked.

"I guess . . ."

"How come you don't care about spending the lee‒ Edward's money? You used to hate it when people spent money on you." I waved my hands around, indicating the expensive hotel suite.

"I'm married to him, so it's my money too."

"You have to tell the truth."

"That is the truth. I am married, and it is‒"

"You know what I mean," I interjected.

"I don't know. It just started today. I haven't had time to think about it." She looked around the room. "I suppose it's not just one reason or answer. I've seen how they live. They go through money like it's toilet paper. It's obscene, really. Nothing I spend will even get noticed. If we stayed here or in a tent, the cost would end up seemingly the same for them. The other reason . . . I don't know. I guess . . . I just don't care ― about anything." She looked away sadly. "In a way, I want to make Edward angry. He's just been nothing but so damn nice ever since . . . you know."

We ate the last few pieces ― actually, I ate them ― in silence. I could hear chewing noises coming from my mouth. It seemed as loud as a chainsaw. I wanted to break the silence, but I didn't know what to say. I didn't want to console her about Edward. What was a guy supposed to do?

"You know what was on my mind those few days after . . . that day?" I asked her, finally remembering something.

"What?" She looked skeptical. I guessed she was expecting me to be judgmental.

"I had this really weird feeling that I couldn't shake. Remember how I said when the . . . baby died I felt like I lost something too?" She nodded. "Well, I kept feeling that. It was like I was lost and nothing was holding me down. I can't describe it. It was like the opposite of zero gravity. Instead of floating, it was like I couldn't get up, or move. I mean, not literally, but you know. . . ."

I took a long, loud slurp of what remained in my soda can. Bella didn't reply. She was staring at me like I had three heads. Maybe I should have kept that to myself. I thought I'd be able to share that with her. This was Bells, after all.

"You're sad about her too." It wasn't a question, so I didn't answer. I hated the monster for eating away at Bella, but when she said that to me just then, something deep inside rang true. I didn't like it.

"Jake, if she lived, would you have loved her?" Shit, she just had to ask that, didn't she?

"I don't know, Bells. I guess it would depend."

"On what?"

I was a complete imbecile! I just had to add "it would depend" to the end of that, didn't I? What the fuck was wrong with me?

"A lot of things. I guess the first would be if you were okay."

"Let's say I was okay."

"When you say okay, do you mean okay for you and Eddie-boy or okay to me?" She waited before answering. She knew what I was getting at.

"Okay, like I am right now."

"Well, if you were like you are right now and the baby was alive . . . shit, there are more . . . conditions." She looked at me quizzically. "What would the kid be?"

"For argument's sake, let's say she's mostly human."

"What do you mean, exactly, by 'mostly'?" I asked.

"Looks, smells, sounds, and feels like a person."

"But . . . ?" I raised an eyebrow. There had to be a catch. She couldn't expect that his spawn would be completely normal.

"Maybe better looking than most . . ." She had to be kidding! That was the reason why she wanted to turn herself into a bloodsucker? Was I really in love with someone who would die to look better? Okay, I had to calm down and not be critical. This was really turning out to be harder than I ever thought possible. Calmly, I nodded and motioned with my hand for her to continue.

"She'd be a little stronger. Nothing too weird, but sort of like the strongest man. And fast, too."

"Sort of like an Olympic athlete?"

"Yeah, like that!" She was drifting into dreamland. I could see it in her eyes. She had that glazed look she got when she was off in la-la land, fantasizing about things that had nothing to do with real life or right now. "She'd be really healthy too. You know, one of those people who never get sick and always comes out of an accident unscathed."

"Would she be immortal?" She had to think about that one. Okay, she was making up her fantasy child, and I was guessing that she was giving her all the traits she liked most about the leeches. So far, she liked good-looking, coordinated and unable to get hurt, but she had to think about immortal? Really? Was she telling me beauty was more important than immortality? What the fuck was wrong with her to think like that? Jake, you really know how to pick 'em!

"Maybe not immortal . . . not exactly. Maybe she'd just live a really long time, but she'd still age. I mean, she'd have to. She couldn't be a baby forever."

"No, of course not." Now this was just getting weird. She looked at me expectantly. I looked back questioningly.

"So?" she asked.

"So . . . what?"

"Would you love her?" Crap. I had forgotten about the question. Now I really had to answer.

"I guess if I were in a reasonably good place, I would at least like her because she was yours, especially if she looked like you. I don't think I'd be able to love her like I would if the circumstances were different." It was the most honest answer I could come up with. Her eyes were locked on mine looking for signs of a lie. I knew there weren't any.

"What would make you love her? What circumstances?"

"Basically, if it weren't his."

"You mean, if it were yours."

"Well, that goes without saying, but even if it weren't mine, as long as it wasn't his, it would seem better."

"Why do you hate him so much, Jake?"

"Well for starters, he is my mortal enemy."

"Forget that he's a vampire and you're a wolf. There's got to be more than that. You don't hate Carlisle like that."

"I would if he wanted to get in your pants."

"Jake . . ." She had her arms crossed in front of her, and she was tapping one foot. For real, she was actually tapping her foot?

"I hate him because you love him more than me." She got that defeated look on her face again. She curled up with her chin resting on her knees and her arms wrapped around her legs. I went over to her, unwrapped her arms and held her in mine.

"You hate him because of me. If it weren't for me, you would be happy," she said, more to herself than to me.

"No, I wouldn't," I replied.

"You were happy before you ever met me."

"How would you know? You didn't know me back then."

"I just know. Back then, Jake, you were always smiling. You were just full of light and joy." She was talking about the first time we met on the beach. I was pretty sure about it.

"I was barely fifteen. Neither of us can say what I'd be like now if I never knew you."

"I'm sorry I hurt you, Jake."

"We're done with that, Bells."

"By the way, thanks for . . . saving me." Her face finally lit up. Well, maybe "lit" was too strong a word, but she looked less sad. "I guess you were right again. I did need you to save me."

"You're welcome. Anytime, really. I should get a pager or something, so you can signal me whenever you need saving."

"Really, Jake? A pager? Even I'm not backward enough to use one of those."

"Hey, they still use them in hospitals. I see Sue Clearwater with one. . . . "

I picked up the remote and began flipping channels. It was too early to sleep, but I couldn't think of anything else to do. This wasn't right. Bella and I weren't supposed to feel awkward together.

We sat next to each other, staring at the TV and not saying a word for an uncomfortable few minutes before she finally got up. Out of the corner of my eye, I watched her grab her toiletry bag and some clothes, and walk into the bathroom. I let out a sigh and cleaned up the pizza boxes and empty soda cans.

I was stretched out on the couch when I glanced around our suite, realizing there was only one bed. To be fair, it was a very big bed, but still . . . it was just one.

Don't get all worked up, Jakey-boy. You know you're going to end up on the couch.

I sighed loudly and went back to watching television.

Bella came out about ten minutes later. It was only nine o'clock, but she looked ready for bed. She had on pajama pants and a white t-shirt. Oh yes, did I mention there was no bra? Yup, that's right. One bed and no bra. And I thought not being judgmental was hard ― no pun intended.

Bella was in a daze, as though her mind was lost in a chasm of fuzzy memories. She silently walked to the large armchair and sat in it, hugging the pillow close to her. She wasn't facing the television, and she wasn't looking at me.

"Hey, you ready for bed already?" I asked. "It's barely night."

"It's been nothing but night for a week," she answered.

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><p><em>In case you've noticed, I've been updating more frequently than originally promised. I'm hoping that will continue as things have been working out really well, both with my writing and my new beta. Cross your fingers!<em>


	4. Breaking

_I would like to thank my beta, ShadowPast620 for listening to all my paranoid thoughts, answering my nit-picky questions and reading through this chapter with a fine toothed comb!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 4 - Breaking<strong>

Bella never did get herself out of that chair. She just sat and stared out the window while I watched television. I could tell she was crying, but I didn't say anything. She would have let me know if she wanted me to. Eventually, she fell asleep, and that created a dilemma for me.

I knew she was beat. I could tell from the dark circles under her eyes, and she didn't even stir when I gently tried to wake her. I carried her over to the bed and slipped her in under the covers. I wanted to get in next to her _so__badly_, but I knew I'd be pushing my luck. Bella was so beautiful lying on the bed, her mouth slightly open. I sat on the floor next to the bed, so my face was an inch away from hers. As gently as I could, I brushed my lips against her forehead and whispered, "I love you." I moved to get up when she whispered back to me.

"I love you, Jake."

I was frozen. I just stared at her, but her eyes didn't open, and her heart beat steadily. She was still asleep. I couldn't leave her, so I got undressed and slipped into bed beside her. I made sure I stayed on top of the covers so my body wouldn't betray my brain in the thralls of sleep. I was still a guy after all.

Sleep did not come easily for me that night. If I wasn't trying to pull my mind out of the gutter, then I was trying to forget that she didn't want me, that she had chosen _him_. Thoughts were racing a mile a minute through my consciousness as I lay listening to Bella's steady breathing. It gave me a long time to think about the situation, and being the eternal optimist ― or masochist, depending on how you looked at it ― I came up with a list of observations.

Bella was sad. She was disappointed with her husband and didn't want to be around him. She wanted a baby, but she wanted it to be _his_. Eddie-boy was not going to let that happen, and I was sure that wouldn't change. If there was one thing I could count on, it was that he wouldn't purposely endanger her. The last observation was she wasn't talking about being changed into one of _them_ anymore. It didn't seem like a priority at the moment.

Where did that leave me? Well, I was still in best friend territory, but instead of making her life complicated I was now the guy comforting her. Not ideal, but better than a few weeks ago. Her number one priority was no longer becoming a vampire, so that bought me time. She wanted a baby, which would be good if it didn't _have_ to be his. Ah, but that made the wheels in my head turn. He wasn't ever going to let her have his baby, and she loved me too, almost as much.

_Yeah, keep telling yourself that, Jake. Why not just rip your own heart out and feed it to that coven already? It'd be quicker._

I just totally did _not_ want to go there, but a guy can't just close his thoughts. Thank god the leech couldn't hear them. He better not be hearing them . . . .

I had the facts, and I knew where I stood ― sort of, but I didn't have a plan. Sure, I had some time, but how much time was there? Eventually, she'd want to go back to her "family" unless I could convince her otherwise. This time it would be different though. He wouldn't think she was dead, and he wouldn't be about to off himself. She wouldn't be running to save him. Of course, this time she was already married.

In the end, I did get about six hours of sleep, but only because Bella slept in. I felt elated about that. She probably hadn't slept well in a week, but she did that night. I was going to take the credit for it. Hell, there was no one around to say it _wasn't_ because of me. I called down and ordered up room service while she was still sleeping. I was in the shower when I heard a knock on the bathroom door.

"I'll just be a minute, Bells," I called out over the sound of spraying water.

"It's okay, Jake. Take your time. I-I just wanted to make sure you were still here."

I turned off the water, jumped out of the shower, and wrapped a towel around myself, all in one movement. The door was opened seconds after she finished speaking. I grabbed her and held on as tightly as I felt was safe for her frail body. Even just after waking up, morning breath and all, she still smelled wonderful to me.

"Bells, I would never leave you. Come on, even when you've asked me to, I never left." I rubbed my hands slowly up and down her back as she rested her head on my chest and chuckled quietly.

"Of course. I should know better." I could feel her pulse and the warm breath from her lips. Her eyelashes brushed my skin every time they opened and closed. It was intoxicating. "Uh, Jake?"

"Mmm hmm?" I had my eyes closed and was barely able to speak.

"I'm getting all wet."

"Oh, sorry." I reluctantly pulled myself away, adjusting the towel around me. The moment I looked up from my task, I saw her face. She immediately lowered her eyes to her hands as her face and neck turned red. I smiled, kissed the top of her head, and went back into the bathroom.

As sad as she was, I was still looking forward to spending time with her. This sadness was different. She wasn't lost completely. Bella was still hopeful she could get what she wanted. I didn't like it, but she was hopeful enough that she was trying to convince the leech. She wasn't like that last winter. Back then, she avoided having to try at anything.

We were sitting at the table eating the room service breakfast when I heard the cell phone ring. It took a while to locate it, but I got to it before the caller hung up. I expected it to be the bloodsucker.

"I thought the deal was _we'd_ call _you_." I didn't bother with salutations.

"_Huh?_" This did not sound like the mind reading parasite.

"Who is this?" I asked. Bella looked over at me, curious.

"_It's __Sam. __Jake?_" Sam? What was Sam doing calling me on this phone? I mouthed "Sam" to Bella and she shook her head slightly as she went back to eating.

"How did you get this number, Sam?"

"_Cullen. __Listen, __Bella's __not __around, __and __he __said __she __was __with __you. __Is __that __true?_"

"Yeah, she's with me." Why did Sam care? And how did he know she wasn't at home?

"_What's __going __on, __Jake? __I __get __the __feeling __those __bloodsuckers __are __trying __to __hide __something __from __us._"

I didn't know how Sam knew something was going on, but I wasn't ready to share it with him yet. To be honest, I didn't know how to explain it. It wasn't every day that you found out the girl of your dreams was pregnant with a mutant baby, had an emergency c-section thanks to your teeth, and now you had a second chance because she was depressed again. Yeah, there were no words for this.

"They're having . . . marital problems, and I'm just being a friend for Bella." Bella started waving her hands around frantically, signally that I not say anything further about her. I nodded and mouthed "don't worry" to calm her.

"_What __kind __of __'marital __problems'?_" He just always had to get in everyone's business.

"It's . . . personal. I don't think Bella would want me to talk about it." Bella's tense body relaxed a little when I said that.

"_Jake, __what's __going __on? __If __there's __a __danger __present, __it's __your __obligation __to __tell __me __everything!_"

"I told you, Sam, it's personal. That means it's just about them and doesn't affect us. She's still human, and she's going to stay that way for now." I heard a sigh of relief on the other end of the phone. Bella remaining human was good news for all of us.

"_Okay, __but __you __let __me __know __if __you __find __out __anything. __Do __you __hear __me, __Jake?_"

"Sure, sure. Look, I have to go. Hey, can you tell my dad I'll be back in a few days?"

"_Okay. __I'll __talk __to __you __later._"

"Yeah." I hung up.

Bella looked at me with anticipation and worry. "Everything's okay, nothing to worry about," I told her reassuringly. She didn't look convinced. "Really, he doesn't know anything, and he doesn't care, as long as there's no threat to the tribe."

"Do you have to get back?" She looked torn. I knew she didn't want to be alone, but she didn't want to put me out either.

"No, I'm good. So, what did you want to do today?"

Bella looked at me, frightened. She shrugged her shoulders and went back into the large armchair. Her legs curled up as she rested her head on her knees. She looked out the window, oblivious to my presence. I didn't know what to do. Where was a broken down motorcycle when you needed one?

I picked up the tourist magazine on the hotel desk and started flipping through it. I tried the same thing I did the day before and began blathering on about the usual sites in Seattle. Bella just kept her gaze at the window, nodding once in a while. It wasn't enough this time. I put the magazine down, walked over to her and knelt down in front of the chair.

"Bells, let me do something for you, anything."

She turned and looked at me. I almost fell apart. Her face had crumpled, and there was no light left in her eyes. She was so lifeless that she couldn't even cry.

"There's nothing you can do, Jacob. Only one person can make it better, and he won't." It was starting to break me. I didn't know what was worse, when she was begging to become a vampire, or this, begging to die giving birth to a monster. "I don't even know why I'm here with you, Jake. You're the last person who would help me. You can't even sympathize with me!" Her dull pallor faded as the flush of rage began to spread.

"You're right, I am the last person who will help you get . . . what you think you want, but that doesn't mean I can't help you," I replied. She opened her mouth to interrupt, but I put a finger to her lips, silencing her. "I'm not here to talk you out of, or into, anything anymore, Bells. I'm just here to pick you up and take you out of this pit of darkness you've buried yourself in. That's it. Remember, no judgment."

I went up on my knees, stroking her hair. She looked at me. Her eyes were searing into my soul. For the first time, I had absolutely no idea what she was thinking or feeling. I heard her heart beat rapidly and her breathing became heavy. She reached up and took my hand from her hair, but she didn't let it go. Instead, she pulled it back, wrapping my arm around her body. I reached out with my other one, so they encircled her.

I was afraid. There was nothing I wanted more than her. There was no one who could hurt me as much as her.

Her head leaned into mine. I felt her warm breath on my lips, making me motionless with fear and anticipation. If I let this happen, it would make me feel better than anything else ever could, for now. That was the problem, the "for now" part because afterwards, she'd still go back to _him_, begging to have _his_ kid and I'd be shattered beyond repair.

I was still thinking, still contemplating, when she grabbed my shirt into her fist and smashed her lips onto mine. Her body temperature seemed to rise under my hands, and I could feel wet tears falling from her eyes. It didn't feel like love. It didn't even feel like desire. There was only desperation.

Her hands moved down from the collar of the t-shirt to the hem. I felt her cool fingers glide under the cloth and up my abdomen, stroking my bare skin. My mind was a blur as reason struggled with lust. My hands moved in between our bodies and gently pushed her away.

"Bella, no." I felt betrayed by my own voice.

"Jake, please . . . " she pleaded. Her hands began to roam lower, and I felt fingertips dip just inside the waistband of my jeans.

"No, Bells!" I grabbed her wrists and jerked them upwards until they were held up between our faces. "It won't take it away!"

She looked at me, hurt and lost. No more words would come to my lips, no matter how much I willed them to. Her face caved in before my eyes, as tears ran down her cheeks. I felt her body shake and heard her breath hitch as hiccups escaped her mouth. She was falling apart, right here in front of me, and I was helpless to stop it.

"You know I love you, Bella. I would do anything for you, if it made you better." She nodded, no longer meeting my eyes. I let go of her wrists and embraced her. Bella cried aloud in my arms. She shook, wailed and pounded her fists into my chest. I had to hold her up because her legs grew weak and buckled beneath her.

"She's never coming back, Jake. She's never coming back, and he's not upset about it!" She let out a loud scream, grabbing my shirt in her fists, overwhelmed with raging grief. "He's happy I'm alive! He's happy she's dead instead of me!"

"Shhh. . . . " I said nothing more. I just held her, holding her together, the way I had seen her try to do on her own so many times before.


	5. Released

_So Bella and Jacob, holed up in a hotel room . . . that's where chapter five picks up._

_Before we get to it though, I'd like to thank my beta ShadowPast620 who has been a great person for bouncing off ideas, teaching me about some of the finer points of grammar, and reassuring me that everything will be okay. Thanks!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 5 - Released<strong>

Bella didn't want to acknowledge her nineteenth birthday, so we spent it the same as we did the two days that followed it. We hung around the harbor and explored the city. During those three days, Bella had moments when a little life would creep into her smile, but it never reached her eyes. Every evening, we returned to our suite and spent it watching television. She always sat next to me, pressed against my side while my arm draped over her shoulders. Every night we slept together on the one, large bed. We were no longer separated by the covers. Bella needed me to hold her and touch her. It was the only thing that kept the nightmares away. Every night, I heard her say my name. I also heard her say his.

Things were pretty bad for Bella, but it was much better for me. She was human, with me, and away from _them_. The events of the previous week were a blurred memory to me now. I was so focused on being with her and making her whole. It was my singular goal, and I guess that's how my mistake was made.

It was on the fourth day that she got up and announced that she'd like to call Charlie. I could tell she wanted privacy and the only way to ensure I didn't overhear was to go out. That's when I made a decision that changed everything.

I decided to go for a run and see what was happening with the pack. I should have just called.

I drove to a park just outside the city and phased. Sam was on patrol with Seth at the time, and at first he showed friendly concern. It caught me off guard.

_Is __she __as __bad __as __she __was __last __year, __Jacob?_ I saw the images pass through Sam's thoughts. Even after all this time had passed, it was still difficult to see Bella like that, the way she had looked when Sam found her in the woods.

_What __happened, __Jake?_ Seth asked. _Edward __didn't __leave __her __again, __did __he? __I__mean, __I __can't __imagine __he'd __do __anything __like __that __to __her. __. __. __._

_Weird __shit, __as __usual. __That's __what __my __life __is __all __about __now, __weird __shit._ I began showing a summary of the situation, not thinking how it could be translated. _For __once, __I __actually __agree __with __the __bloodsucker, _I thought, as I recalled Bella's "goal" for the near future.

That's when I was jolted from my thoughts, as Sam's rage and fear took over our minds. Seth was the first to react.

_It's __wrong, __Sam. __They __haven't __done __anything __to __break __the __treaty, __and __the __. __. __. __**thing **__is __dead_.

_Seth, your friendship with the Cullens has been tolerated up until now, but it is time to choose sides. There is only one side for the pack. We must protect our tribe and our women._

_Sam,__they __have __no __intentions __of__‒ _I began.

_Jacob!_ Sam interrupted. Shit, he interrupted me, even in my thoughts! _That __is __enough!__We __cannot __take __the __risk. __Bella __is __determined, __and __even __if __Edward __does __not __comply, __we __cannot __be __sure __that __all __of __the __others __will __refuse __her. _Okay, I hated them, but even I didn't think they'd just go off and get Bella pregnant. And what the hell? What kind of person did Sam think Bella was? I was about to get all puffed up with rage at the insinuation when he interrupted my thoughts, again. _What __if __they __decide __to __try __with __another __human __woman?__ We __don't __even __know __what __that __. __. __. __**thing **__was!_

_Exactly, __Sam,_ Seth replied. _What ever __it __was, __it __was __half __human, __and __it __**died**__. __It's __obviously __not __a __leech. __For __all __we __know __it's __a __baby, __more __human __than __anything __else._

_We cannot take the risk. I'm calling the others, and we'll meet to strategize. Jacob, I expect you to be there. Bella can take care of herself, or you can call her **coven** to come get her._

I growled at the Cullens being referred to as Bella's coven, but Sam ignored me.

_What __are __you __planning __to __do, __Sam?_I already knew the answer, but I wanted him to have to spell it out.

_We must kill them all._

_No,__Sam!__It's__wrong!_ For once, Seth's stupid attraction to the rest of them was doing me some good. As much as I hated the Cullens, I knew if we killed them Bella would die too. She wasn't ready to lose them, at least not now, and not that way. And I couldn't leave her. If she found out, she'd be there, too. She'd be in the line of fire.

_That would be her choice, Jacob. Of course, we want nothing to happen to her, but if she interferes, she does so knowing the risks._

_I won't do it, Sam._

_Me, __neither!_ I guess there was a little of whatever Leah had in the kid as well.

_You __have __no __choice. __I __am __ordering __you __to __obey! _I could feel myself stiffen and felt as though I were being pushed down towards the ground as Sam's Alpha voice took over my body. My giant wolf struggled to stand, as I fought the submissive stance Sam's order was reducing me to. There seemed to be no relief from the shackles that imprisoned me.

I felt the anger build. All the resentment I had carried around since the day I first phased, came together in one intense point of energy. This was what had ruined everything for me. This aberrant twist of fate, that had nothing to do with anything I had done. There was nothing I could do to make it go away. It left me as powerless as Sam's orders.

That's when I felt the heat of my rage take over my body. I was the great-grandson of Ephraim Black. I was never supposed to kneel to Levi Uley's descendant. I wasn't meant to kneel to _anyone_.

The fury roared from within until Sam disappeared from my mind. In fact, Seth was gone too. At first, I thought Sam was ignoring me, or trying to give me a chance to vent, but the kid. . . . He could never shut up. That's what I noticed first. Then I realized I was running, no longer bound to Sam's orders. It was the weirdest feeling. Sure, I had been phased before when no one else had been, but this was more. It was liberation from the oppression I did not fight before but refused to accept now.

I wanted to relish the moment, but I had to get back to Bella.

I thought long and hard about what to do. I didn't want to tell Bella about Sam's plan. That would just push her right back into _his_ arms. She'd forget about her grief, at least momentarily, and forget that she was angry with him. It would be Italy all over again. Of course, I couldn't _not_ tell her either. If I said nothing and they died, she'd never forgive me. If I thought my chances were slim now, that would just take the last grain of salt from my side of the scale.

If I told Edward, he'd make me keep her away. That would make _him_ the bad guy ― sort of. The problem with that plan was that I'd be giving the Cullens an edge, further endangering the pack. I wasn't sure I could live with that. I was pacing along the edge of the woods, getting ready to phase back, when the kid came into my head.

_Jake! Are you there? You gotta be!_

_Seth?_

_Aw, man! I knew it! This is so cool!_

_What the hell is going on, Seth? How come you're in my head and not Sam?_

_You're Alpha, dude._

_No, I'm not._

_Yes, you are._

_No, Sam's Alpha._

_Not our Alpha._

_What are you saying?_

_You broke from the pack, Jake. That's why you're not in their heads anymore. Sam completely freaked out when it happened, and everyone's phased right now, but we can't hear any of them._

_Well, I can hear **you**._

_That's because I broke away, too._

_What? Are you telling me we're both Alphas?_

_No, you're **my** Alpha._

_Uh uh, I'm not anyone's Alpha._

_Well, I need a pack, and you're all I have._

_What __the __hell, __Seth? _That's when I noticed Seth was running east as fast as he could. He was inside the trees, but very close to the main road_. __Where __the __hell __are __you __anyway?_

_I'm coming to meet up with you!_

_No, you're not! Go home! I mean it! You don't even know where I am!_

_Sure I do. I'm in your head, remember? You're in that state park near Bellevue._

_Seth, go back. This is crazy. I'm going to kill you if you come to Seattle, assuming Leah doesn't kill me first._

_I'm not going back. I don't want to kill the Cullens. If you want me to go back, you're just going to have to **order** me to do it._

For a dumb little kid, he sure was smart. _Fine, __but __don't __be __an __ass. _I couldn't do it, and he knew it. I could never imprison anyone with my words the way Sam had done to me. _When __you __get __close, __come __in __human._

I related the directions to our hotel and made my way back to Bella. I still didn't have a plan, but Seth's break from the pack had changed things.

They were down two, making close odds even worse. They also had no idea where we were. Leah would be crazy and completely useless, plus the other guys would be concerned. Seth was just a kid ― okay, we _all_ were, but he was younger than most ― and they had no idea where he was. In any case, it would slow down whatever plans Sam had formulated. It gave me more time.

As much as I wanted to make sure the kid didn't get sidetracked, I didn't want to leave Bella alone too long. I waited a few minutes, then made my way back towards the city, phasing back to human once I got near the car.

Bella was in the shower by the time I returned to our suite. It was a good thing, because I still hadn't thought of a plan, and Seth was going to be here soon enough. How was I going to explain his presence, without letting her know Sam's plan? And what was I going to do to keep her away from the ensuing conflict, without her hating me forever?

Well, pacing around wasn't going to solve any problems. I looked over at the clock and noticed it was getting close to dinnertime. I shrugged and called the fancy hotel restaurant for dinner, instead of room service. She _did_ say she didn't care about the money. I noticed the leech's cell phone laying on the desk and picked it up, shoving it into my pocket. I wanted to make sure I had time to explain whatever story I came up with before she started speed dialling anyone.

Bella was out of the shower and dressed when I heard familiar voices by the elevator. I knew they were too far away for Bella to notice, but that didn't matter. There wasn't enough time to explain anything to her. Actually, I wasn't quite sure what was going on myself. Of course, I hadn't thought of what to say to Bella, and now I was sort of glad. Whatever I might have come up with, would have been blown out the window once _she_ showed up. As if on cue, a loud knock resonated on the door. Bella got up to answer, but I gently held her back.

"It's for me," I said. She looked at me questioningly. "I don't know the whole story either, but we all will in about one minute." I walked over and swung the door wide open. "What are you doing here, Leah?"

"I'm with you now." She walked right past me, sneered at Bella and plopped down into the armchair.

"Sorry, Jake. She caught up to me and wouldn't leave me alone. She's in my head, which probably means she's in yours too," Seth added, as he walked into our suite.

"Jake, what's going on?" Bella looked to Seth for answers when I didn't reply. "Seth?" She trusted him and rightly so. The kid couldn't lie, not to her. I also noticed she didn't acknowledge Leah's presence. Well, it wasn't like Leah would have anything nice to say anyway.

"Well . . ." Seth looked over at me apprehensively, not knowing how much to reveal. I hadn't decided either, but it didn't matter. Just as I had predicted, Leah spoke.

"The pack broke up, and Jake here is our new Alpha," Leah piped in.

"I'm not anyone's Alpha. You still haven't answered my question, Leah. What are you doing here?"

"I go where Seth goes."

"Well, I don't want you here, or in my head!"

"I'm not leaving." She was planted firmly in the chair, and it would appear, in my life.

"Yes, you are because Seth is leaving too."

"Aw, Jake, no. I can't. You know I can't kill them!" As soon as he said it, his hand went straight to his mouth, covering it.

"Kill who?" Bella asked, looking at me accusingly.

"Of course, you haven't told her," Leah snickered. "Sam and the gang were going to wage an attack on your _coven_, but I'm guessing those plans have been put on hold now that he's down three wolves."

"Why is Sam trying to kill the Cullens?" Bella asked. "Jake, we have to warn them! You have to take me back!" She was up, waving her hands around frantically.

"Don't get all worked up, Swan." Leah got up and pushed Bella down onto the couch. "No one's getting attacked tonight. I told you, Sam's down three, and he's not an idiot."

"I don't know why you're still here. What part of 'go away' do you _not_ understand?" I was pissed off. Girl or no girl, if she put her hands on Bella again, I'd have to belt her.

"I'm not going anywhere!"

"Jake, she's not that bad. She said she'll be good." Seth, ever the peacemaker, tried futilely to end our argument.

"Jake, we have to go! Where's the phone! You can't let them die! Edward . . . !" Bella was frantic now, pulling at my arm.

"Get the fuck out of here now, Leah! I finally got Sam out of my head, and now you‒" I stopped mid-sentence. I realized, just then, why she left. It wasn't just because of Seth. Leah saw understanding come to my face, just as sadness washed over hers.

Suddenly all the shouting stopped and silence enveloped the room. I ran my fingers through my hair as I started pacing.

I saw Bella look from Leah to me, deciding what she needed to do to get her way. Finally, she went to Seth, taking hold of his arm.

"Seth, please. We have to warn them. We have to tell Carlisle and Edward." Of course, Bella decided to mention the two he liked the most.

"Don't worry, Bella. Nothing's going to happen. The odds were pretty bad as it was after Jake and I left, and now it's turned into a suicide mission. Leah's right, Sam's not stupid." Well, at least the kid was paying attention.

Bella relaxed a little. I was happy about that, but upset that she needed to hear it from Seth. I guess I shouldn't have been surprised. It's not like I'd ever shown any concern for her new "family."

"I don't understand. Why does he want to attack the Cullens? I can't imagine any of them would have broken the treaty. . . ." She turned to look at me, searching for answers. I avoided her gaze, staring at some point on the wall instead. She turned to Seth, questioning him with her eyes. He shrank away, fiddling with the hem of his shirt.

"What is _wrong_ with you pussies?" Leah asked. "I expected this from my dumb ass brother, but from you, Jake? Aren't you the great one? The one and only true Alpha?" She got up, out of the chair, and walked over to Bella. "Well, listen leech-lover, if they won't tell you, I will."

"Leah, no! Let me explain it." I didn't trust her. She never liked Bella, and Bella was too fragile to take any abuse from her. I turned to Bella and took her hands in mine. "Bells, this is all just a big misunderstanding. Sam doesn't know Carlisle and the others." I had to use the doc's name, or else I'd never be able to make it sound nice. He was the only one I remotely liked. "Once we explain everything, it'll be all cleared up."

Leah made some snorting sound from the corner.

"What is he leaving out, Leah?" Bella asked.

"I'm not leaving out anything, Bells. Like I said, it's all just a misunderstanding." I glared over at Leah from where I stood, but her expression didn't change. Bella ignored me, released her hands from mine, and walked over to Leah.

"Tell me," she implored her. I put my hand on Bella's arm to guide her away from Leah's rancor, but she jerked it away and turned in my direction. "Jake, I want to know. You promised me once that you'd never keep things from me."

Shit, I was really too free and loose with the promises when it came to her. I let out an exasperated sigh, running my hands through my hair. I was formulating my words in my head when Leah just blurted out, "They're afraid all of you are going to start finding ways to breed and let the devil's spawn loose into the world."

"Leah!" Seth actually beat me to it. "That's not fair. No one knows anything like that. The baby died! It wouldn't have died if it were the 'devil's spawn' or a vamp, or whatever it is all of you think!" Okay, so I wouldn't have exactly said _that_, but it probably made Bella feel better than anything I would have come up with.

"Hey, they're not _my_ words. I'm just quoting what was said by others," Leah retorted, as she shrugged. As if anyone believed _that_.

"What business is it of Sam's what I want to do?" Bella shouted angrily. "He has no right! He's not _my_ Alpha!" She was livid. Her face was red, but it wasn't the usual blush. The veins in her forehead throbbed as color spread from inside the neckline of her shirt up to her hairline. Her hands were clenched into fists and her mouth looked like she was ready to growl. "Give me the phone, Jacob." Bella had her hand out towards me. I hesitated and she said in a firm voice that I had never heard before. "Give me the phone, now!" I gingerly took it out of my pocket and gave it to her.

She snatched it from my hand and looked at Leah. "Sam's number?" Leah complied without hesitation. As a matter of fact, she looked smug. I heard the phone ringing on the other end. I guess I could have tried to stop Bella, but I didn't see any real need. It wasn't like I was exactly pleased with Sam myself, and it was better than her calling the bloodsuckers.

"_Hello?_" Shit, it was Emily. I hoped Bella would go easy on her. She liked her, didn't she?

"Hi, Emily, it's Bella. Could I speak to Sam please?" Okay, she sounded reasonably polite, if a little curt.

"_Bella? __I __wasn't __expecting __to __hear __from __you __again. __. __. __._" Well, that was awkward. "_Uhm, __Sam __isn't __in __right __now. __He's __just __stepped __out __to __get __something __for __me __at __the __store, __but __he __should __be __back __any __minute. __Did __you __want __to __leave __a __message?_"

"No, I need to talk to him. Can I wait until he gets home? You don't have to wait with me on the phone, Emily. I'm sure you're busy."

"_What __is __this __about, __Bella?_"

Silence. How long did it last? It seemed like hours, but it was probably closer to twenty seconds.

"It's sort of about the treaty."

"_Is __there __something __I __should __know?_" Emily was starting to sound defensive. That was not a good sign.

"It doesn't concern you." I didn't think Bella had it in her. Apparently, Leah didn't either. She nodded approvingly.

"_Bella, __there __is __no __problem __between __the __two __of __us, __no __matter __what __has __transpired __between __you __and __Sam._"

"It doesn't change the fact that it doesn't concern you."

"_Sam __and __I __don't __keep __secrets __from __each __other._"

"Then you can ask _him_ about it when he gets home. You are not _my_ imprint, and I have no uncontrollable urge to please your every whim." I saw the look of regret and apology on Bella's face, as sure as day, the moment the words left her lips. Of course, Emily was not privy to this. Leah snickered in the corner, and I heard Emily hitch her breath. The only time I had seem Bella fight this aggressively for anything was for Edward. The hope of having this ― as of yet nonexistent ― kid meant enough to her that all her timidity was thrown to the wind.

I heard a door open and close on the other end of the phone. Sam's voice was further away than Emily's as he asked her, "_Em? __What's __wrong? __Are __you __okay?_" The receiver on the other end banged and rattled. I guessed Emily had dropped it.

"_The __phone __. __. __. __it's __for __you._"

"_Em __. __. __. __sweetie __. __. __. __what's __wrong?_"

"_The __phone, __Sam. __Just __get __the __damn __phone!_" Her voice broke on the last word, like she was about to cry. There was a little more jostling and then Sam's voice came on.

"_Who __is __this?_"

"Bella."

"_What __did __you __say __to __Emily?_"

"You can ask her, but I don't have time to explain what's going on with your _imprint_." I guess all the regret and apology was short lived. "Where do you get off, Sam Uley? Who made you ruler of all? You do not get to decide how I live my life! You may have strong-armed Jacob into doing your bidding by abusing some freakish mystical power, but you hold nothing over me! How dare you decide for others what is right and what is wrong?"

"_I __have __a __say __in __anything __that __endangers __our __people. __It __is __my __obligation._"

"There is no danger to anyone but me!"

"_You __don't __know __that! __You __have __no __idea __what __that __monster __was __that __you __carried __in __your __body!_"

"You mean the same way you have no idea what kind of monster you might create?" Shit, she was hitting below the belt. It was true what they said. No one fights harder than a mother for her child. Of course, there was no child . . . yet.

"_We __do __not __create __monsters. __There __are __generations __of __documented __history __to __prove __it. __I __am __proof __of __it, __and __so __is __Jacob! __Unless __you __think __he's __a __monster. __. __. __._"

"What? The oral histories? Didn't you ever play broken telephone as a kid, Sam? You're going to take all that at face value? Look at the things they've been wrong about. And this generation is different. You know that! Billy said you guys are all bigger and faster. There are more of you, and a girl! You're not the same! Besides, who said all the descendents of the previous pack were such model citizens? What happened to your dad, Sam? And what about Embry's dad? What? Abandoning children doesn't count as a monster like quality?" How the hell did she know all that . . . ? Of course, the fucking mind reading piece of shit!

"_We __are __all __human_." Even though I couldn't see him, I knew he was gritting his teeth.

"Half the time. And my child was half human. A species you vowed to protect, I might add."

"_I __never __vowed __to __protect __the __spawn __of __a __cold __one!_"

"You do what you need to, Sam, and I'll do what I need to." Bella slammed the phone down, forgetting to hit the end button. I reached over and did it for her.

Just as I was about to put it back in my pocket, she grabbed it from me. I didn't fight her. What was the point? Sam wasn't going to attack now. He probably thought they already knew since Bella knew.

"Jasper? I need to talk to Edward."

I held my hand out to Bella. She mouthed "no" and I mouthed "please." Before Edward got on the other end, Bella relinquished the cell phone to me.

"_Bella, l__ove, __are __you __okay?_" What a douche. Was it possible she actually liked being called "love"?

"She's fine, and so am I. Thanks for the concern."

"_Jacob. __Where's __Bella?_" Was that tone accusatory?

"Don't get all worked up. She's right here. I just thought it would be better if I explained the situation, since I had a first-hand account."

"_What __situation? __Has __something __happened? __If __you __have __let __anything __happen __to __Bella __I'll__‒__"_

"Trust me," I interjected, "if anything happened like you're insinuating, you'd be the last person I'd call."

"_How __dare __you__‒_"

"Do you want to know what I know or not?" I interrupted. "Because I'm hanging up if you're going to be any more of an ass than you already are." Silence. "Look, Sam found out about everything, the pregnancy, Bella wanting another, all of it."

"_How?_"

"Mind reading. You should know all about how that works." Silence again. This was turning out to be a better conversation that I expected. What was even better was that he couldn't read my mind right now. _You __are __skinny, __pale __and __talk __like __someone's __grandma!_ "Anyhow, he was going to attack all of you, but he's kind of down three wolves. Don't ask, it's a long story, but he's not getting them back."

"_We __need __to __leave __Forks._"

"My thoughts exactly. Just pretend you're all going out east. You and Bella were supposed to go anyway, and now the rest of the family will be joining you."

"_What __about __Charlie?_" Shit, I had forgotten about him. I looked over at Bella. She looked back at me, curious.

"Hang on." I turned to Bella. "Do you think you can go to Charlie to say goodbye before leaving for college?"

"Jake, I'm not going to school at a time like this!"

"I never said you were. I'm just asking if you can tell Charlie you are."

"Oh, yeah, I guess. . . ."

"_I __heard,_" Edward said on the other line before I had the phone to my ear again.

_Yeah, __yeah, __leech, __hearing __that __doesn't __make __you __special_. It was too bad he couldn't see me roll my eyes. "Look, we can do all this, but I'm not sure where we're all going."

"_You __are __not __going __anywhere. __Bella __is __coming __with __us, __her __family. __You __will __have __to __work __out __your __differences __with __yours._" Edward sounded smug.

_Oh __yeah, __asshole? __We'd __see __about __that._ I turned to Bella again and asked, "Edward wants you to go with him and the rest of the Cullens. They're leaving Forks, for good." She looked at me like a deer in the headlights. After a brief silence, she held out her hand for the telephone. I handed it over to her, knowing she wasn't going to let him get what he wanted.

"Edward?"

"_Love, __we'll __work __this __out. __We __can._"

"You know what I want. I'm not coming back, so I can watch the rest of you live while I break apart. I have a void in me that will never go away. It's the same as when you left me!"

"_Bella, l__ove, __you __know __that __I . . ._"

"No, Edward, I don't want to hear it!"

Shit, I don't know how they ever conducted a conversation with all this interrupting they did.

"_Bella . . ._"

"The only thing that can come close to filling even a part of that void is if we had a child together. You said you wanted me to have every human experience. Well, I want this one!"

"_You __can __have __it, __with __a __human __baby!_"

"I don't want some stranger's baby, Edward! I want ours!"

"_Bella, __you __know __I __love __you __more __than __my __own __existence. __There __is __nothing __I_‒"

"Don't say it, Edward! You didn't even love the baby! You couldn't even call it a fetus without cringing inside! Do you know what it was like for me in that house? I could feel the longing in Rose and Esme. I know now what it is they would trade everything for! We could have that, Edward. We could have it all! You let me get a _taste_ of forever _and_ a family, yet you deny me a chance to actually experience it. Remember when I begged if we could try? You said it would be too dangerous for me, and who was right? Who was wrong? Why do you always assume I can't do anything? Why do you assume you are right about this, when you weren't right before?"

At this point I saw Seth walk into the bathroom. I didn't think he needed the facilities. It was more likely he was uncomfortable with the conversation.

"_You __know __that_ _I __can __never __endanger __you __like __that, l__ove._"

" I'm not coming with you. We have to leave Forks, and I understand that. I'll say my goodbyes to Charlie, but I need more time to think. We'll stay in touch."

"_It __is __my __responsibility __to __keep __you __safe, __Bella._"

"Consider yourself released from that obligation!" With that, Bella hung up, tossed the phone to me, and paced around the suite, looking for privacy.

"Seth, get out here," I shouted. He was out in seconds. Bella saw, gave me a small smile and went into the bathroom. We could all hear her crying, but we pretended we couldn't. I was about to open my mouth to break the silence when there was a knock at the door. Leah whipped it open and in came dinner. She directed the guy in, gestured to me to tip him and then started opening all the covers.

"We'd like two more of everything here, please. Can you get that for us right away?" Leah asked the valet.

"Yes, of course, Miss." He looked over at me with a raised eyebrow. I nodded, and tipped him, then he was gone.

"Well, the rest of you can sit around and be pissed, I'm eating," Leah announced, before she sat down and began her meal. Just then, Bella stepped out of the bathroom, took a seat at the table next to Leah, and grabbed a roll. Seth and I just stared at the two of them for a few seconds before shrugging our shoulders and digging in.

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><p><em>In case I haven't mentioned it before, this story will now update regularly on Mondays and Thursdays. I may have a few extra updates either before or after the holidays if I anticipate I won't be available for a little bit, but I will announce it ahead of time. I hope all of you have been enjoying the story so far, and will like where I take it in the future!<em>


	6. Possibilities

_Three hungry shapeshifters, one sad girl and a whole lot of expensive food. What will all that give you? Chapter six! Sorry, I know I'm a little cheesy. I blame it on mixing alcohol with caffeine. How else is a girl expected to survive?_

_Many thanks to ShadowPast 620, my beta extraordinaire. She's there when I send it stuff in an "emergency" and actually gets back to me right away! She's there to read crap that I'm on the verge of scraping. She's there pat my head and tell me "it's okay, shhh... the sky is not falling down." (Okay, so that last bit is not literally... but we all knew that, right?) Thanks chickie!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 6 - Possibilities<strong>

"So, Leah, you _do_ eat like the boys," Bella commented, out of nowhere.

"I do _not_ eat like a pack of wild dogs. In case you didn't notice, I used a knife and fork," Leah replied.

"Hey, we used utensils, too!" Seth offered.

"Yeah, _today_. Was that to impress Bella?" Leah teased. Seth blushed and turned away from his older sister.

Leah turned to Bella. "Today was a bit much, but we don't eat porterhouse steaks with Maine lobster at home." I had to agree with her. It was just about the best meal I had ever had.

"We should go to Forks," Bella stated perfunctorily.

"Sure, Bells," I answered, "first thing in the morning."

"No, I want to go now."

"It'll be pretty late by the time we get there. It's already seven-thirty."

"Charlie won't care."

She was probably right about that. _Oh __well, __no __time __like __the __present_, I thought. There really was no good reason not to get going right away.

We packed up after dinner, and made our way back to Forks in what I now knew was Bella's "before" car. It was a good thing we had it because the Rabbit would have been pretty cramped with all four of us in it.

Once we got to Charlie's place, Seth, Leah and I waited in the car while Bella said her goodbyes to her father. We heard everything. It was a little sad how Charlie was left in the dark about everything going on in his daughter's life. He sounded a little put off by the fact that Bella hadn't come with her new husband, but he bought her story about everyone being busy moving the family out east. She must have gotten better at lying. I assumed it was a perquisite for being a leech.

Charlie never knew the three of us were outside waiting in the car. The windows were tinted so dark, even in broad daylight, you'd never be able to see in. At night, the car was almost invisible.

Our next stop was the Cullen house. Leah was really opposed to this, and suggested we go without her. In the end, Seth talked her into coming. I don't know how the kid did it, but he seemed to be the only one that could soften her rough edges. As we rounded the corner, onto their driveway, I saw Bella bite her lower lip nervously.

"You sure you want to do this, Bells?" I asked.

"I have to do this," she answered, "but I'd like it if you could come with me."

I sighed loudly. I knew it would be better all around if I came with her, but it's wasn't like that house was filled with all my favorite people. Of course, the one thing I had in common with her damn bloodsucker husband was that I couldn't say no to her.

"Sure, sure."

The door was whipped open by her parasite husband as we started ascending the stops on the front porch.

"She is coming with _us_!" Edward yelled, as he grabbed Bella's arm and pulled her into the house, slamming the door in my face.

Right away, I heard the argument begin, so I decided to wait instead of barging in.

"Edward, let go of me! This is not helping your cause!"

"Love, I'm sorry. I didn't hurt you, did I? I'm just concerned."

"You haven't hurt me, physically, and you have no reason to be concerned."

"I don't understand any of this, Bella. How are we to work out our differences if we are apart? You belong here, with me and our family."

"The problem, Edward, is that there appears to be nothing to work out. I know you're stubbornly set on **not** giving me the one human experience I want. I know you well enough that something astronomical will have to happen before you change your mind. In the meantime, I need to think about what I want to do."

"Exactly what are you considering, Bella?"

"I don't know, Edward. I just need some time. I'm going to let Jacob in. He's helping me get some things together."

"Love, I can help you, or Alice can, if you'd prefer."

"I don't prefer. I want Jacob."

After a short, silent moment, the door opened. Bella stood on the other side, and the house behind her was empty. She didn't say anything. She just turned and gestured for me to follow. We started in the room where I had found her over a week ago. She took out a very large suitcase, and one smaller one. She opened them both and started packing the large one full of clothes, books and shoes. She paused for a second, as if deciding what to do next.

"Jacob?" she asked.

"Yeah?" I replied.

"Can you tell if they're in the house?"

"There's no one in the house but us. You do realize that Eddie can hear my thoughts even when he's outside, right?" She nodded and looked around.

"Can you just wait here while I go and get something?"

"Sure."

She left the room, carrying the small suitcase with her. I could hear the doors from other rooms open and close. There was shuffling around, like she was moving things, and a little banging. She was obviously looking for something. I wanted to go help her before she ended up ransacking the whole house, but whatever it was, she didn't want the Cullens to know. It made me think of something. I opened the door and poked my head out.

"Bells?" I yelled down the hallway, "I can smell really well."

"Oh, yeah, thanks," she replied. It took a while, but she did eventually return to the room, barely able to hold the small suitcase. I relieved her of her burden, surprised she was able to carry it at all. It felt like it was jammed full of text books. I could smell some papery scent too, but mostly it reeked of vampire, really badly. I wrinkled my nose in disgust.

"Sorry, Jake. I put some . . . stuff in there to mask the scent."

"Yeah, well you did a spectacular job," I rolled my eyes in disgust. "Are we done here?" Bella nodded. "Okay, then let's blow this joint!"

I waited until we were on the highway, just to be sure, before asking, "So what's the secret stash?"

"Just some money."

"You stole their money?"

"It's not stealing if they won't care or notice that I took it. Actually, it was sort of given to me."

Bella was not the same girl I remembered a few months ago.

"What did you use to mask the scent? I can still smell it, even though that suitcase is in the trunk."

"Bed sheets."

"I don't get it. I thought they didn't sleep? Why would they have beds, and why would their sheets sm‒"

Just then, I felt Leah whack the back of my head.

"You stupid virgin!" She yelled. Oh. I really was a stupid virgin. I felt as lame as Seth. "Okay, I seriously did _not_ need to know that!" she continued. "It's bad enough that I have to smell that stench, but now that I know what it's from‒"

"Can we please just talk about something else?" It was the first thing the kid had said the entire drive. "How about we discuss where we're headed?"

"Actually, we have to stop in La Push," Leah interjected.

"Sure, Leah. You guys don't have to go anywhere with us." I was relieved to be getting rid of her quite frankly.

"No, _I'm_ not going home but Seth is."

"No way! What am I supposed to do? Just hang around and have Sam glare at me every day?"

"The kid's got a point, Leah."

"He can't miss school, and Mom will be worried."

"We can call Mom and, really? School? Come on!"

"We can enrol him in school wherever we end up," Bella spoke up.

"I don't know what rock you've been living under, Swan, but he needs some documentation to enrol in school," Leah sneered.

Bella rifled in her purse for something and threw a small bundle to the back of the car. Leah grabbed it in mid-air, unwrapped it, and began examining it.

"Huh. How did you get these so fast?" Leah asked.

"Alice."

"But I thought she couldn't see us?"

"She can't, but she can overhear telephone conversations. Sam and Carlisle also met for a 'truce talk' so she found out the two of you were with us. Well, actually, it was Edward who found out." Sam was really off his game if he agreed to meet with Edward present.

"You two going to let us in on what you're talking about?" I asked, looking at Leah from the rear view mirror.

"Fake ID's, and school records for you and Seth. We need to get some photos, though."

"I am _not_ going to enrol in school!" I shouted. "It's one thing to show up as a junior in La Push looking like an overgrown lumberjack; I'm _not_ going to do it in some other place where I'll be the _only_ oversized sixteen year old!"

"Why don't we figure out where we're going first?" Leah offered, changing the subject.

In the end, we ended up in Western Montana. We rented a large properly out in the country. It was close to a heavily forested area so Leah, Seth and I could still go for runs. It was a fairly secluded place, although we weren't actively trying to hide from anyone, but none of us were eager to be around crowds, either. We also bought a used truck. The Mercedes attracted too much attention.

Seth and I did end up enrolling in High School. It was the lamest thing in the world, but Leah really wouldn't have it any other way. We were supposed to be "brothers" which wasn't too difficult for us. We already felt like brothers as it was, and us both being Quileute and way too large for our age, made it pretty easy for everyone else to believe it.

Soon after we settled, I gave Sam a call. He was unhappy with letting the Cullens go, but he had no other feasible choice. Sam and Paul had gone to meet with Carlisle and Edward soon after Bella phoned them. Carlisle gave them their word that none of them had any intentions of creating some hybrid race. When the subject of Bella was approached, Edward adamantly insisted that he would never allow her to carry his child again. Sam, being the ass that he was, mentioned the other "males within their coven" being possible candidates for Bella's determined goal. Edward nearly lost it, but the doc stopped him.

Got to say, the doc was as cool as a cucumber. Even with that outrageous accusation, he just told Sam that they had strong ties like humans do and the thought of anyone else siring a child for Bella would be equivalent to one of Sam's pack mates siring a child for Emily. That didn't go over well with Sam, but it's not like he could do anything about it. He had said the exact same thing about them. In the end, it really didn't matter what Sam thought. They didn't have the resources the Cullens had. There was no way they'd be able to find them, or follow them.

Sam only told me all this because he wanted us to come back. Everyone was unhappy about the rift in the pack, including the council. I couldn't go back, though. I could never go back to being under Sam, no matter what. I left it to Leah and Seth to do what they wanted to do, but I already knew what their answer would be. Leah would never go back. There was nothing for her in La Push, or with Sam's pack. Seth stayed with Leah, even though both of us wanted him to go home.

As for the Cullens. . . . Bella didn't call them, and they didn't call us. She did have a note from Alice that was left for her when we went back that night to get her things. Apparently, Alice had "seen" that Bella would be in her room and left the package with identification and papers for us, as well as a whole lot of cash. Bella said she knew they had stashes of it all over the house, but didn't expect Alice to have it out and ready for her to take. Alice wished Bella well, and begged her to please come back to their "family" as soon as she could. I didn't like any of them, but at least she was helping us out, and she wasn't trying to help Bella have another demon spawn.

A couple of weeks had passed since that day, and all of us had settled into a comfortable routine. It was a quiet Sunday afternoon, and the Clearwaters had decided to go for a run. Bella and I were just hanging around on the porch, drinking hot chocolate and watching the colorful fall foliage blow in the breeze.

I didn't want to break the spell, but I couldn't let things go on like this indefinitely. She was still married, and my heart couldn't take being crushed again.

"Bella, what are you going to do?" I asked.

"You mean today?" she asked in return.

"No, I mean forever."

"Oh." She set her cup down and looked out into the woods. "I guess I'll go back to all of them. Maybe this feeling will go away once I've been . . . changed." I tried really _really_ hard not to blow up when she said that.

"What if it doesn't go away? I'll be too late to do anything about it then," I remembered how the blonde reacted back on Labor Day and added, "Wouldn't that blonde, and even the doc's wife, do just about anything if they could have a baby? They've been vamps for ages and wanting a kid hasn't changed for them."

"I know, but it's too late to do anything about it _now_. Edward's stubborn. He won't let me have his child."

"I still love you, Bella." I was afraid to start this, but I couldn't go on any longer without telling her, without knowing for sure. I risked everything. I risked losing my heart, soul and will just for a _chance_ with her.

She wouldn't look at me. "I know, Jake, and I still love you, but I can't _live_ without Edward."

"Would you have lived without Edward if you had the baby, but he was . . . dead?"

"That's ridiculous. That would never happen."

"Let's just say it could. Would you be able to live without him, if you had the baby?"

"I guess. . . . I mean, I'd have to raise our child."

"So it's not that you _can't_ live without him, you just don't have a _reason_ to live without him. That's different."

"You're twisting my words."

"No, I'm not. You're saying you actually _could_ live without Edward if you had someone else that you loved just as much, or more."

"I . . . guess. . . ."

"Don't you love me, almost as much?" I could feel my hand tremble with fear. My words crept ever closer to that precipice that would either give me a reason to live or destroy me forever.

"Jake . . ."

"Well, don't you?"

"You already know."

"If you love me, almost as much, and _we_ can have what you want but can't have with _him_, wouldn't that be enough love to live without Edward?"

"Jake . . . " She looked over at me with pity in her eyes, before turning away."You deserve better than that."

"I didn't ask what I _deserved_. I asked what you could _live_ with. So?" She looked at me quizzically. "Would you be able to live without Edward? Would you, if you had me and _our_ baby, not a stranger's?"

"I'm married, Jake."

"Married is nothing compared to . . . the other commitment you're considering." I put my hand on top her hers. "What you want right now, Bells, that's more of a commitment than marriage, too."

She picked up her cup and went back into the house, leaving me alone on the porch.

I felt the warmth of hope blooming inside me. My already broken heart had not been pulverized the way I had feared. I never thought she'd just jump into my arms and beg me to father her child. What she did right now was all I was able to dream of at this point, and that's what gave me hope. She hadn't said no.

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><p><em>Thanks to all who have been reading this story. Loads of gratitude to those who have left a review. I love hearing from readers, and reviews are always appreciated!<em>


	7. Torn

_Thank you to my wonderful beta, ShadowPast 620. You've been great as always, but especially so because you really helped me with my "title" block on this chapter. Man, those pesky titles. . . ._

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><p><strong>Chapter 7 - Torn<strong>

It was the end of October when we heard from the Cullens. I wish I could say they called us, but nothing was ever that easy for me.

I was home alone. It wasn't often this happened, but Seth was actually at the Halloween dance with some girl. Leah ― much to Seth's chagrin ― had volunteered to be one of the "chaperones" and Bella had gone with her, so they could snicker and giggle together. I felt a little sorry for Seth, but I wasn't going to get in the way of Bella having fun, even if it was at his expense. In reality, she wasn't there to embarrass him. She would never say this, but I knew she wanted to meet the girl. For whatever reason, Bella really liked the kid, and I had a feeling she wanted to make sure his date was "good enough" for Seth.

I was out at the back of the house chopping firewood. I was almost done when the wind changed direction, ever so slightly. It didn't take much. A waft of acidic, burnt sweetness swept into my nostrils, seemingly setting my nasal passages ablaze. It wasn't just any random parasite. It was _the_ leech.

_You __realize __we __have __a __phone, __right?_ I thought.

"I'm here for Bella." He was standing in front of me now. He looked even pastier in the dim evening haze. His skin, if you could call it that, looked ashen, brittle and artificially smooth like some old lady's ancient, china teacup. If I didn't know any better, I'd think it would crumble into a million pieces the minute I touched it. Not that I would.

"Well, she's not home."

"Yes, I gathered that. I will wait here for her. I wouldn't want to spoil her evening's entertainment."

How long had the dumb fuck been lurking?

"Not long. You had already gone through more than half those logs by the time I arrived, but long enough to know where everyone is."

"Do you think you could try pretending again?"

"I could try, but I make no promises. There is nothing more I need from you. It would appear you have done your job, and I thank you for it. However, now it is time for Bella to return home to her family."

"So that's it? You just use and abuse me, then whisk her away, whether she wants it or not?"

"If you are looking for payment, I would be happy to‒"

"Fuck!" I shouted. "You _know_ that's not what I'm talking about!"

"Well, I thought I was pretending I couldn't read your mind," he snickered smugly. "There have been new developments and now we must part ways."

"_We_ _had_ parted ways, until _you_ came over here today."

"Bella is a part of our family. She is with me, not you."

"Oh yeah? Then how come she's been living here for the last month and a half?"

"This was a temporary arrangement . . . for her convalescence, and it was financed by me, I might add."

"It was financed by Bella."

"Well, that would be the same."

"Not the way I see it."

"How you see it is of no consequence."

"To you. . . ."

His lips were that thin, hard line again. It always got like that, when I pissed him off. I wondered if it got like that when Bella had "rebelled" against him in the spring, when she ran away to see me. I wondered why those thin, scrunched up lips didn't just fuse together from being pissed at everyone so often.

"Bella and I have had our misunderstandings, but we have never quarrelled."

"Oh, I don't remember ever saying you _had_. But, hey, if you want to get defensive, go nuts!" I crossed my arms in front of me and gave him my best I'm-a-smart-ass-jerk smirk. It was the kind that made Bella want to punch me. "So, you gonna tell me what this 'new development' is?"

"It is none of your concern."

"Yeah, well that's your interpretation, but you know as well as I do, Bella's not going anywhere with you unless you tell her what's going on."

"And I shall, but there is no need for you to be involved. Your role in this is over now."

"That's not really up to you."

"Bella will agree with me, perhaps not for the same reason, but she will agree."

That got me piqued, but I didn't have any more cards to play. Or maybe I did. I started replaying all those nights when the two of us slept together, in the same bed, holding each other. I recalled every instance when she murmured my name in her sleep. I let my thoughts drift to that conversation we had four weeks ago, when she could no longer say she couldn't live without Edward.

His stoic expression didn't budge. At first it pissed me off, but then I thought of what a cold, emotionless corpse he was. How could someone like that ever keep a girl as intense and overblown with emotion like Bella, happy? How long would it be before his human "act" and his refusal to let her have her own family, sucked all the life out of her? He didn't need to drink her blood to kill her.

Well, there went the stoicism. What a turd.

"You realize she's going to tell me anyway. Even if she doesn't, I can hear everything she can," I stated with confidence.

"You would eavesdrop on us?" he asked.

"Oh, please! Where do you get off criticizing anyone for eavesdropping? You've spent a hundred years eavesdropping! And what I'd be doing wouldn't be the same because both of you would know I'm listening."

Again, it was the thin, hard line of a mouth on his face. It was a wonder it didn't crack from all that pressure.

_You really have to work on a new look. That one's not attractive or scary. _

Now he was purposely trying _not_ to change his expression just to prove he didn't care what I said or thought.

_Whatever, asshole. If you want to look ugly when Bella shows up, after not seeing you for almost two months, that's fine by me!_

I went into the house to shower and change before the rest of them got home. I didn't invite Edward in. It's not like he was cold, uncomfortable or needed to eat. I should have just waited outside with him. The idle time in the shower just got my mind wandering. I tried not to think about it because I knew he could hear it all, but it was a little difficult to shut off my brain.

I thought about Bella leaving, and it made me hear Leah's voice. It was the conversation we had had many times over the last few weeks.

_All this playing house is only going to make it worse, Jake._

_Shut up, Leah._

_I'm just trying to keep you grounded._

_I'm not an idiot._

_No, you're not, but you're still hoping. It's going to be worse this time. You thought it was bad last time, at the wedding?_

_I told you, shut the fuck up!_

_The longer you keep lying to yourself, Jake…_

_Shut the fuck up, or I'm going to cripple you for life!_

_You think I give a shit what happens to me? What the hell do you think I'm trying to save you from here? I'm trying to save you from **becoming** me!_

I had just stepped out of the shower when I was stirred from my thoughts by the sound of gravel crunching beneath tires. That was them, turning into the drive from the main road. We were pretty far up from the road, but I still raced outside. I wanted to make sure I was there when Bella arrived.

The two of us stood at the end of the driveway. We were as far away from each other as two people could be and still remain on that strip of gravel path. It was a little immature I suppose, but at least I could say I was a teenager. Can't tell you what _his_ problem was.

"Just because I have no desire to debase myself with juvenile banter, does not mean I am being petulant."

"You really suck at pretending."

"I told you I would try, but that I was no longer motivated by need."

"I guess being polite isn't part of your modus operandi, is it?" I looked him up and down. Dumb, short fucker would be nothing without the hair products and expensive clothes. "And you call _me_ an animal. . . ."

"I would hardly call you the model of proper societal norms."

"I don't remember breaking any of Emily Post's rules."

"Your thoughts are hardly pure. I was in that tent, too."

"Emily never said anything about impure thoughts."

Just then the headlights of the truck approached, illuminating both of us. Leah must have been driving because she didn't slow down; instead, the truck came to a skidding stop, inches away from us. The stop was so dramatic that the truck fishtailed. The bed was right in front of the parasite and the passenger door of the cab was right in front of me. She was one hell of a show off, but hey, she made sure Bella was right in front of _me_, and _he_ was breathing in exhaust fumes. There was nothing better than being on Leah's good side, especially if your nemesis was on her bad side.

Bella had seen Edward, but I was the one directly outside her window.

"Jake, what's going on?" It pleased me that she addressed me first, even if the physical proximity made it difficult for her to do otherwise.

"You know as much as I do. He won't tell me anything other than that you _have_ to leave with him _now_." I made sure to emphasis the words that would irritate her the most. Bella didn't like disappointing people, but she also didn't like being forced into anything.

I saw her face scrunch up as she wrestled with her seat belt. She always got flustered when she was pissed off. Seth helped her, and she got out of the cab. Bella stopped to look at me, squeezed my hand and whispered, "Just give us a minute, okay, Jake?"

"Sure, sure," I said, giving her my sweetest I'm-an-understanding-flexible-guy smile. "You'll let me know before you do anything, right?"

"Of course. I'll come talk to you in a few minutes. Why don't you guys just wait for us in the house?"

"Okay. Love you."

I could hear a low, quiet growl from the bloodsucker.

_You __realize __my __hearing __is __better __than __yours, __don't __you?_ I thought as loudly as I could. Now I heard something that sounded like "Pshaw!"

_Hey, it wasn't a **werewolf **that couldn't tell the difference between Renee and James through a cell phone. . . ._

I saw the leech leer over at me with his eyebrow raised. By this point Bella had caught on that we were having some sort of silent exchange. She turned to me and mouthed "please." I let just one more thought go before going into the house.

_She tells me **everything**, asshole. Wrap **that** around your dead brain, next time you think she **liked** your performance in bed!_

As I had warned the leech before, I heard the whole conversation. I didn't even try to give them privacy. If it mattered that much to him, he could have gone somewhere. The guy _did_ bring a car.

"I don't understand, Edward. Why didn't you call first? Did something happen?"

"Something did happen, but I don't want to explain it here. You need to come with me, Bella. You can't hide here with Jacob anymore."

"Why not?"

"I'll tell you everything in the car. Let's just get going."

"What is it, Edward? What are you trying to keep from Jacob?"

"It's not something I'm trying to keep from him out of spite. It would just be safer for him if he weren't involved." There was a short silence before Edward added, "We have received a wedding gift, from Aro." This was followed by a gasp from Bella. She knew what Edward was talking about, but I didn't.

"Aro," was all she said. Who, or what, the hell was "arrow"?

Nothing more was said by either one of them, but I heard Bella's feet crunching in the leaves. I ran outside to catch up to her. Edward held her by the elbow, hurrying her along to his car.

"Bella!" I yelled out. I didn't want her to leave without knowing what was happening or where she was going. I knew, if she left like this, I would never see her again. "Bella! Please, Bella!"

She hesitated long enough to trip. I could always rely on her to slow herself down. I saw Edward reaching for her, but she knocked his hands away.

"No, Edward. I owe him a goodbye, in the very least."

I was there at her side. Edward was helping her up, but looking directly at me, seething. She glared at Edward as she jerked her arm out of his hands. He looked down at her and let go, turning away from us.

"Jake . . . I have to go."

"Bella. . . ." I couldn't say anything else. I felt my voice crack as my vision became blurred by the liquid pooling in my eyes. She wasn't mine. She had never been mine. I had nothing left to give her, and no way to compel her to stay. She reached out to me, placing her palm on my face. I leaned into it before lifting her up into a firm embrace.

"Please, Bella. Don't do anything you can't take back, not without seeing me one more time, please."

"Jake, I can't . . . I don't know . . ."

"Remember when I promised not to be judgmental?" I felt her head nod next to mine. "Well, I'm going to keep that promise. It'll be good for all future circumstances, too. Just, make sure you let me see you, one last time. Promise me, please?"

I felt wet drops sliding down my cheeks, thinking they were my tears. They were hers. I heard soft hiccups and sobs. She didn't answer me. I wasn't sure if she couldn't make that promise, or if she couldn't speak.

"You remember when we talked earlier this month?" I asked her. "Remember, when we talked about what you could and couldn't live with?" I felt that subtle, but distinct nod again. "Don't forget, Bella. Don't forget what you know. You're stronger than you give yourself credit for. You're stronger than a lot of people give you credit for."

"Jake . . ."

"Love, it's time to go now."

I felt her body being pulled from mine. I held on tighter, refusing to let go. I could feel my temperature rise as my chest heaved from the pressure of my aching heart.

"Jacob, let go of her! I don't want to hurt you!" The fucking leech could make all the threats he wanted to, I wasn't letting go until she asked me to.

Something was happening around me, but I didn't care. There was a lot of yelling and bashing. It sounded like branches were breaking. I could hear voices too, angry voices. They seemed so far away, but for some reason I was sure they were close.

_"We'll take care of this! You're making it worse! Just go wait in the car!"_

_"Edward, you know I'd never let anything happen to Bella."_

_"It's not you I don't trust; it's him and your sister!"_

_"She's cool, I swear. Come on, I don't want to fight you, but she's my sister. Let go, please!"_

_"You have two minutes!"_

I could feel Bella's cool fingers digging into my neck and back. She wasn't letting go either. I breathed in her scent from the hair that surrounded me. The wind blew it against my check, creating light whispers. The rhythm of her heart, the swishing flutters of her hair and the labored exhalations escaping from her mouth were all I could focus on. That is, until I felt warm hands pulling on my arms. They were strong, strong enough to weaken my hold on Bella.

"Jake, man. You gotta let go. You're going to hurt her." It was a boy's voice.

"Jake, come on. He's waiting in the car. You don't want to crush her. He's going to come back if you don't let go of her now." A woman's voice, but not Bella's.

"Jake, she's about to pass out. Do you want her to suffocate? Jake!" I heard a loud crack at the same instant that something wrenched my fingers away from Bella.

Shit! What the hell was that? I was on the ground, my face hot and throbbing.

"Love, are you okay? I swear, if she's been hurt. . . ."

"She's fine, just get the hell out of here! I mean it! We out number you three to one, and two of us won't think twice about killing you!"

I wanted to get up, but I had lost the will to do anything. This had been my last hope, and it was gone. How many chances was a guy going to get to save his girl? I'd been given more than my fair share. What had I done wrong? What was missing in me that made her turn to him, always?

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><p><em>Thanks for following and reading my story. I hope you liked this chapter, and reviews are always appreciated!<em>


	8. Intruder

_Thank you ShadowPast 620 my super duper beta! Not only did she correct all my comma splices, typos and pesky wording issues, but she helped me again with the title!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 8 - Intruder<strong>

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><p>Life sucked. The only good thing about it was that no one expected anything from me anymore.<p>

I had quit school. The decision was made the day I lost Bella, again. Actually, I quit a lot of things after that day ― like living at home. I couldn't return to the reservation. Just the thought of seeing Sam made me want to beat him to a pulp. I knew it wasn't his fault I had lost her, but he didn't help, either. Then there was fucking Paul. I knew he'd be around all the time, pawing my sister. It was bad enough seeing _any_ happy couple, the last thing I needed was my sister getting felt up by that asshole. You could say I was in a bit of a jam. All I had were the bikes, my Rabbit and a bag full of designer clothes. I only had one alternative if I didn't want to live on the rez, so I hopped on my motorcycle and went to Charlie's.

"Jacob? What are you doing here?" I must have woken him up. I didn't really pay attention to time anymore.

"Hi, Charlie. I was wondering if I could crash at your place for a little while. I can help out and stuff, as soon as I get a job. I won't be any trouble at all, promise. I can even cook. You know, not as well as. . . ." I couldn't say her name. "I can make simple things."

"Did you get into a fight with Billy?" He stirred from his stupor enough to look worried. "You know I have to call him, don't you?"

"Dad won't mind. You can call him if you want."

"Okay, well, sure, come on in. I'm just . . . um . . . I'll go call Billy now, and you can get settled. I guess you can stay in Bella's r‒"

"No!" He looked at me quizzically. I had said it too loudly. "I wouldn't want to mess up her stuff, or anything. I can crash here on the couch."

"Jake, that couch is older than you. I don't think it can handle having all six foot seven of you lying across it every night. Besides, you need a proper bed. I've got some other blankets and things. You don't have to use the purple stuff that's on it right now."

There wasn't going to be any easy way out of this one. I could have volunteered to sleep on the floor, but that would just make the whole thing even weirder. In all honesty, I just wanted to stop talking about it. In fact, I didn't want to talk at all.

"By the way, Jake?"

"Yeah, Charlie?"

"As long as you're staying here, I have a few rules you'll have to put up with."

"Sure, sure."

"The first one is you will not be riding that motorcycle."

"But . . ."

"We can go together to pick up your car, whenever you're ready."

The last thing I wanted to do was drive down to the rez in Charlie's cruiser.

"That's okay; I'll get one of the guys to come bring it over for me."

"Well, I don't exactly want any of _them_ to ride your motorcycle back, either. That thing is just an accident waiting to happen."

"I'll get two of them to come with my Rabbit and another car, okay?" Man, he was a bit uptight.

"All right . . . just make sure no one rides that . . . thing." He pointed over at the Harley.

"Sure, sure."

I followed Charlie upstairs. He stopped briefly at the linen closet for some bedding. Once we got to her room, he opened the door, tossed the blankets and sheets onto the bed, and went down to the bathroom.

It was exactly the same as I had remembered it, yet completely different. All the furniture was still there, along with the purple bedspread. Everything that had been hers was gone, like she was ― all her books, clothes, shoes, and the myriad of hair ties. The only thing that remained was her old computer. The room still smelled the same.

I wanted to strip the bed and get the new sheets on, hoping to get rid of the smell, but I couldn't get my body to obey. Instead, I fell onto the bed, curling up, holding a pillow, breathing in her scent. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get up.

Even though my back was to the doorway, I knew Charlie had come by to check on me. I could hear his footsteps as they paused just outside. I guess he thought I had fallen asleep because he just closed the door and went downstairs. He called my dad.

"Billy, it's Charlie."

"Charlie? Something wrong? It's five o'clock on a Sunday morning. . . ."

"Well, I'm not sure. Jacob just showed up asking if he can stay here with me for a spell."

"Sorry about that, Charlie. He's going through a tough time and all. I'll have someone come by and get him."

"No, no. That's fine. I don't mind him staying. Heck, I wouldn't mind the company to be honest, but I just wanted to make sure you knew where he was."

"Yeah, thanks for calling, but I don't want him getting in your way. . . ."

"Billy, how long have we been friends?"

"Oh . . . coming on twenty five years, I guess."

"Yeah, so if your kid's having some . . . er . . . problems I'm happy to help out. It's good he came here instead of running off like he did in the summer."

"Yeah, guess you're right, but you let me know the minute he causes you any grief. And don't let that boy get in your way. You give him some work to do around the house. He's pretty handy, and strong too."

"Sure, Billy."

"And . . . ah . . . thanks, for everything."

"No problem. I know you'd do the same for me, if it were Bella."

"Of course."

"Hey, since we're both up, you want to go see if any fish are biting?"

"Sure, sure."

"Okay, I'll be by to pick you up in about thirty minutes."

One thing about Charlie that I discovered right away was he didn't hover.

After the phone call, he jostled around in the kitchen, probably to get something to eat, fumbled around some more for his fishing gear, and was out of the house without another word.

I stayed on Bella's bed for a long time. It was the dampness that finally made me to get up. At first, I thought there was a leak on the roof and maybe it had gotten wet the night before, then I realized _I_ had made it wet. It was a good thing I was alone. Crying into a pillow was such a girl thing to do. Even worse was that I hadn't noticed until hours later.

The days passed in a blur. I woke up, ate, watched television, ate, stared out the window, ate, and then went to sleep. The next day, I woke up and it started all over again. After about a week of this, Charlie told me I had to shower and get out of the house. He didn't care what I did, as long as I wasn't home for at least three hours.

I had trouble in the shower. At first, the hot water felt good, and to be honest, I smelled so bad that it was even bothering me. I opened the shampoo and that's when I lost it. It smelled like strawberries. I froze. The shampoo drizzled down in a slow stream. It was a translucent pink, like her lips, or her cheeks when she blushed. Bubbles were forming around the drain, and I could feel the slippery gel on my toes. That's when my legs started to give out. It was like I was suddenly missing some bones or something. I slid down until I was curled up in a ball, under the spraying water, breathing in the strawberry suds.

"Bella," I whispered.

I hadn't said her name since the last time I had seen her.

I spent my requisite three hours that day in the Rabbit, parked at Forks high school, wondering which buildings she used to be in most often.

After another week of moping around and hiding in my car, I finally woke up. I was actually feeling guilty about free loading on Charlie, so I went out and got a job. I worked stocking shelves over at the Thriftway. It was handy. I had an employee discount, so I decided to pay for all the food since I wasn't really paying for anything else. I did all the cooking, too. I found out pretty quickly why Bella had never let Charlie cook. The man was a hazard in the kitchen. He friggin' screwed up tea! Who fucks up boiling water?

All in all, Charlie was an okay guy. I mean, he was kind of quiet, but I didn't mind. It's not like I wanted to talk, and he never asked any questions. I found out that Seth and Leah were living in town, too. There was a lot of friction between Sam and Leah before we broke from the pack, and now it was completely unbearable. Seth had transferred to the high school in Forks and they were living at the old Cullen house. Yup, that's right. Friggin' Seth was 'asked' by the mind reading prick to please 'house sit' while their place was on the market. In a town this size, that monstrosity would be on the market until Seth's grandchildren got married. That is, if he ever got laid. Aw, hell, what the fuck was I talking about? Like _my_ chances were any better than his. At least _he_ was still among the living. . . .

Anyhow, that was my life. I worked, cooked, ate, went for a run, and then came back to crash. Seth, Leah and I sort of gave up the whole patrol thing. We all phased on a regular basis, but we had no schedule. The only thing we did was stay out of La Push. How ironic. Now I was on the Cullen side of the boundary line.

Most days I got by without falling to pieces. It was a bearable day if I didn't start hoping she'd come back. I never talked about her and no one ever asked. It was just understood that she was not to be mentioned. Even Charlie never said her name. He had taken down all her pictures and put them in his room. I never asked him to do that; he just knew.

The only days that were a real problem were Mondays. I always had Mondays off, and it was an effort to keep busy, to keep my mind away from things I had no control over. I had already pruned all the trees and bushes in Charlie's yard, as well as fixed every leaky faucet and squeaky door. I even re-painted all the trim around the windows. Today, the second Monday of December, I was over at the old Cullen place waiting to drive Seth to school. Yup, I volunteered to drive the kid to school just to avoid being alone in Charlie's house.

Leah was dressed and ready for work, Seth had his enormous backpack filled with books, and they were locking up the house, when we felt the wind change direction. All three of us froze in our spots. Leech. I flew out of the car, whipping off my shoes and shirt as I ran. Seth and Leah were right behind me. If it were one of the Cullens, wouldn't they have called first?

In seconds, we were phased and running out into the forest behind the house. Whoever it was, wasn't expecting us. The minute we were within the bloodsucker's sight, her lips drew back, and she snarled at us. It looked like she was going to attack, but then she turned and ran. I guess she thought better of it when she noticed there were three of us.

Something was wrong. She didn't look like a nomad. Sure, she was better dressed than the usual drifter, but it was more than that. It was her eyes. They were like the Cullens' eyes. We ran after her for a while. She was easy to spot with her shiny pale hair that shone like silver. It was like a flashlight in the dark forest. The problem was, she had quite a bit of a head start, and she was fast. She was also headed west.

_Jake, we're getting to the treaty line._

_I know where we are, Seth._

_So, do we keep going?_

_It's a fucking bloodsucker; of course we keep going! Sometimes I'm ashamed to be related to you._

_Give him a break, Leah._

_Whatever._

_Do you think we should warn Sam?_ Seth asked.

_Yeah, you got a cell phone on you, smart-ass?_ Leah retorted.

Shit, this was bad. She was headed right into La Push, probably trying to get to the coast.

_You guys think we could maybe re-join the pack just for a few minutes, so we can talk to whoever's on patrol?_

**_I_**_ sure as hell am **not** going to try, _Leah stated flatly, not that either of us were surprised.

_I'll try._

_No, forget it, Seth. I'll try. If it's possible, I'd probably have to do it first anyway._ Fucking Alpha crap. It was just another thing to hate about my life. _Sam! Fuck, Sam! Leech coming your way. Nine-one-one, dude!_

_Really? Nine-one-one, dude?_

_Well, shit, Leah. What else am I supposed to do? Send smoke signals? SAM! I give up! SAM! I relinquish all Alpha shit! Fuck!_ I was thinking as loudly as possible.

_Jacob?_

_Sam?_

_There's a leech coming your way. She's got really pale hair, almost silver. She's also got the freaky yellow eyes._

_Yeah, Paul and Embry caught a whiff of her just a few minutes ago, but the trail was a few hours old. It must have been where she came in. _

_Paul and Embry? They're phased? I don't hear them._

_We're all phased right now._

_I only hear you. Do you hear Seth and Leah?_

_No, are they with you?_

_Yup._

_Huh._

_You thinking about anything?_ I asked him.

_The usual, _he answered. Knowing Sam, that meant Emily.

_I only hear what you're telling me._ That probably meant he could only hear what I wanted to tell him, too.

_Huh._ _Okay, we'll work this out later. Do you know where the leech is right now?_

_She should be a few miles from the north shore, just outside the reservation. Leah's closest, and she's the fastest. _

_We're coming in from the south; hopefully we'll meet up where the bloodsucker crosses our paths._

_Leah? Due west as fast as you can. Sam and the guys are coming in from the south._

_You spoke to Sam? I didn't hear anything._

_Just go! We'll talk later._

_Got it. Seth, stay close to Jake._

We all ran like we had never run before. Leah was fast, faster than I ever gave her credit for. She came in sight of the silver haired parasite within minutes, but she was getting winded. I could feel her straining to keep going.

Sam showed me who was closest. It was Embry, but he was still a few minutes out from where Leah was. She was fast, but she was far from being the strongest.

I pushed myself as hard as I could. My paws dug into the earth, clawing at the moss and ferns for leverage as I bound forward. With each stride, I glided in the air several feet before I connected with the ground again. I was going so fast, it felt like I was flying. But it still wasn't fast enough.

Leah was close enough that she could almost touch the bloodsucker. They were nearing the edge of the forest. Beyond it was a short drop off and then the open ocean.

_Leah! You can't go after her in the water!_

She wasn't slowing down.

_Leah! She can drown you!_

_How far are Sam's guys? _she asked.

_Embry's about four minutes out._

_I can hold my breath for four minutes, no problem._

The leech had reached the edge of the tree line, and she leaped off the small cliff, into the ocean. Leah sprang off a rock just inches from the thing's head. She caught a few strands of silver hair in her claws. They landed in the water almost simultaneously.

I saw through Leah's eyes white, stone arms wrapping around her neck, as a sheet of shimmering silver billowed out. The silver wolf and the silver haired vampire were twisted together as bubbles rose around them. It looked more like a dance than a fight. Leah was holding on strong, trying to get free of the parasite's hold. She turned her head around at an awkward angle and bit into the bloodsucker's arm, ripping it off at the elbow. She was free from her, but Leah didn't come up for air. She started after the damn leech!

_Leah, surface!_ She was going to drown. It had been four minutes already. Where the fuck was Embry?

Leah kept after her. I could feel her lungs, as if it was me on the verge of collapsing, but she wouldn't relent.

Leah was starting to slow down. The leech was getting further away. It took two minutes, but in those two short minutes, Leah darted to the surface for air, the bloodsucker raced out into the open ocean and Embry finally caught up, but it was too late. The silver haired vampire was gone, with no trail to follow.

We all met up on the deserted, rocky shoreline. Paul had retrieved the marble arm and he had it already set up, looking for some flint to get the thing burning. Quil reached into his pocket, took out a small plastic bag and tossed it to Paul.

"I always carry a lighter, just in case."

We all stood around watching the purple smoke billow up. It created an acrid scent that permeated our eyes and nasal passages. We all stepped back and wrinkled our noses.

"So, do you know who that was?" Leah asked Seth.

"Why are you asking me?" he replied.

"Because you're the only one here that's friends with them."

"I don't know if I'd say we were friends. I mean Edward and I were kind of friendly, but it's not like we‒"

"Yeah, whatever," Leah interrupted. "Just answer the damn question! Do you know her?"

"No . . . but she reminds me of the Denali sisters, and I think there was one that didn't come to the wedding."

"Who, or what, the fuck are the 'Denali sisters'?" I asked.

"They're the extended family Carlisle talks about that live up in Alaska."

All of us sneered at the use of the word 'family'.

"Why did one of them not attend the wedding?" Sam asked.

"I think she was pissed because you guys killed that dark haired leech last spring. The one that was going to kill Bella."

"Why the fuck would she care?" I asked. As I remembered, the dark haired dude was with Victoria, and this coven from Alaska was supposed to be allied with the Cullens. Then I started to remember something. They had tried to get them to help out with the newborn fight, but they didn't. What was the reason?

"One of the Denali sisters was close to the dark haired one. He lived with them for a short while," Seth commented, answering my unvoiced question.

"Wait, didn't they want to kill us or something?" I asked.

"I don't know for sure, but they didn't like us," Seth answered.

"Do you think she'll be back with the rest of her coven?" Sam questioned. I hadn't thought about that. I wasn't even sure how many there were, or what special talents any of them had. Hopefully, nothing. "Seth, what do you know about her coven?"

"Umm . . . There were three other sisters. Wait, no, not sisters. Two of them were, but the last girl was with a guy. The two sisters were blond, like this one, and the couple were both dark haired."

"We don't care what they looked like! We're not trying to hook up. What can they _do_?" Paul barked.

"I don't know. It's not like I'm friends with them, or anything. We were just all at the wedding."

"Well, at least there are only five of them. And I'm pretty sure that one from today has no special talent, plus she's missing an arm," Jared added.

"Yeah, should be easy enough for the ten of us," Embry replied, as he eyed me. "Right, Jake? The _ten_ of us?"

"Hey, this wasn't about me all of a sudden turning into some lover of the undead. We just had a difference of opinion, all right?"

"Wonder what she wanted?" Quil muttered under his breath.

I wondered too. Did this mean the Cullens were coming back? Would _she_ be coming back? I didn't want to think about it. I wouldn't be able to keep my shit together if I thought about her coming back. I couldn't let myself hope. Hope had a better chance of killing me than any vampire.

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><p><em>Thank you for reading my fic. I hope you've been enjoying it, and if so, a few words would be much appreciated. I really like hearing from readers!<em>


	9. Displaced

_So now we have Leah and Seth, living at the Cullen place, Jake living with Charlie and the Pack separated. Irina (yes, that's who the intruder was) came to visit, just as she did in Breaking Dawn, except this time she did not encounter any vampires. She left after a struggle with Leah, minus one arm. What will she do? Hmmm. . . ._

_Thank you ShadowPast620, my reliable, punctual, accurate beta!_

_Oh, and I forgot so I'm updating this to include many thanks to Willow, who rec'ed my fic in the latest update of her wonderful J/B story: Sweet Hostage! Thanks so much!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 9 - Displaced<strong>

I was swimming in the cold, Pacific Ocean when I saw something silver shimmering in the distance. It looked like a beautiful woman, but she was so far away. I couldn't make out exactly who she was, but she was familiar. She swam towards me quickly, too quickly. Maybe she was a mermaid? Her hair flowed all around her like a silk scarf, dancing in the breeze. It looked silver at first, but then I realized it was the light and the salt water playing tricks on me. It was actually dark, almost black. I knew it was probably lighter, but it just looked black because it was wet. The salty ocean water started to taste sweet, and smelled like . . . fruit? Not just any fruit . . . what was this smell? Wait, what was that noise? Can you hear noise like that when you're under water? It sounded like tapping. It didn't seem to go with the whole ocean scenario happening here. . . .

"Jake!" Someone was calling me? Who can talk under water? "Fuck! Wake up, asshole!"

What the. . . ? This wasn't the ocean, and I wasn't wet. Shit, it was a dream. I was stirring when I heard that damn tapping again. I looked over at the window and saw a very irritated Leah. I got up, walked over and unlatched the lock.

"Shit, Jake, you sleep like the fucking dead!" She climbed in with one graceful leap and landed silently on her toes. "I was just about ready to break the damn lock."

"Fuck, Leah. What are you doing here? And what time is it, anyway?"

"It's the middle of the fucking night. It doesn't matter what time it is; we have to go to La Push."

"What are you talking about?" Since when did Leah want to go to the rez? Unless . . . "Shit, is the leech back? Did she bring her coven?"

"She was back, but she's long gone now. She killed Emily."

Had I just heard that correctly? I stood there with my mouth gaping open like an idiot. How could that have happened? Emily and Sam _lived_ together. There was no way he'd let anything happen to her. Leah answered my unvoiced questions.

"Sam was on patrol, along with half the pack. No one thought she'd go right into the reservation like that. They don't even know why she picked Emily. I'm guessing the leech somehow figured out Sam was the leader and Emily was his . . . mate. Maybe she's like that redheaded one and wanted a mate for a mate. Anyhow, we have to get to La Push. Sam's lost it and all hell has broken loose with the pack."

Sure, Sam would definitely be a basket case, but what was this stuff about the rest of the pack? Had someone else been hurt?

Before I had a chance to ask, Leah had pushed me out the window and shoved me towards the woods, phasing as she ran past me. I ran after her in the direction of La Push.

_Jake, Leah! I'm just over here, about a mile west of you._

_Okay, Seth, we're on our way._

_Did you get a chance to explain everything to him, Leah?_

_Just the basics._

_Well why don't you fill in the details then? What's this shit about with the rest of the pack? Is someone hurt?_

_No, __but __Sam's __gone __completely __comatose __or __something. __The __pack __is __. __. __. __lost, _Leah answered.

_What do you mean? They're missing?_

_No, they're without a leader._

_Sam's their leader._

_Sam's gone._

_You said he was fine, just fucked up because of Emily._

_Jake, he's not Sam anymore._

_I don't get it._

_You will._

Once we got to Emily's house most of what Leah had tried to explain was clear.

Along the perimeter of the property, I saw several wolves pacing. At first I thought they were there guarding the place, but if that were the case they'd be running patrols instead of all of them hovering around like that. Once we got inside, I saw Collin, Embry and Paul standing around a large, naked man on the floor. It was Sam.

He was slumped in some awkward looking position, like he had just been dropped on the ground. He looked . . . limp, except for his arms. They were wrapped tightly around Emily's lifeless body. She was motionless and pale, but there wasn't a drop of blood. Sam was almost completely on top of her, as if shielding her from something. His eyes were open, but he wasn't seeing anything. You could tell because they didn't move. I wasn't even sure if he blinked.

"Have you guys tried to move him?" I asked.

"Yeah, he won't let us," Embry replied. I looked at him, puzzled. "He fights anyone that tries to touch him." That's when I noticed the fading bruises on the guys. "We didn't care if we got banged up, but he hurt himself too. He's already broken his arm and dislocated a shoulder."

"What's going on with the guys outside?"

"We think they can't phase back," Paul answered.

"You think. . . ?" Since when did one of us not know exactly what was going on with our pack mates?

"Yeah, we can't phase, either," Collin supplied.

This was what Leah had meant. Had the world just stopped spinning or something? What was the point of imprinting if it left an entire pack vulnerable to all this?

I looked around again and noticed that the scene was exactly the same as when I had arrived, except now instead of three people standing around, there were six. That's when Leah broke out of our circle.

She bent down and slowly, gently, put her hand on Sam's cheek. She whispered, "Sam? We have to make Emily comfortable. Sam, can you get up for us?"

"Lee?"

I saw tears drop onto Sam's cheek. They came from Leah.

"It's me. Please, Sam, get up."

"Em won't move, Lee."

"I know, Sam. Let me help you. Maybe I can hold her? Maybe she needs a girl, right?"

"You'll help, Lee?"

Sam started to move. Leah was able to wrap an arm around Emily's body and ease it out of Sam's embrace. We moved towards them, but Leah motioned for us to stay where we stood. She carried Emily over to the couch, setting her down and went back to Sam. I went over to examine Emily. I knew she was dead. There was no heartbeat and her body was as cold as stone, but we had to figure out what to do. Emily had bruises around her neck shaped like tiny ovals. I could see distinctly where the leech had squeezed her trachea with her one hand. It was a miracle her skin had not torn from the pressure.

"Come on, Sam, I'm going to help you get into bed, okay?"

"Will you lie down with me, Lee? I don't want to be alone. I feel cold."

I heard Leah hitch her breath and saw her bite her lip before answering.

"Okay, Sam." Leah gingerly slipped her arm around Sam's shoulder, helping him up. The two of them walked down the hallway, Leah supporting Sam's weight.

We heard the bedroom door close, and the rest of us left the house. It didn't feel like we should be in there. This was too intimate, too personal. Sam had fallen to pieces, and he was dragging Leah down with him. None of us could stand to stay and watch as it happened.

I decided to try and solve the problem with the rest of the pack, to get my mind off what was happening in the house. It wasn't a good place for me to be right now.

"Okay, Seth, you wait here. I'm going to phase and see what I can do about those guys out there."

"Sure, Jake."

I undressed and jogged into the trees, phasing as I jumped into the cover of the forest canopy. I wasn't sure if I'd be able to connect with them as a wolf, but it was worth a try. The minute I phased I got my answer. All at once, I was overwhelmed by Quil, Brady and Jared, essentially screaming in my head simultaneously.

_Stop!_ I didn't mean to, but it came out in an Alpha voice. I had never used that voice before. Immediately, they were silent. _Okay, __Quil, __tell __me __what __happened._

_We were on patrol when Embry phased to tell us the bloodsucker had been at Emily's. He had found her trail and followed it there. He phased to let us know, and then went human to check inside the house. Sam freaked out and raced home. Brady and Jared were all the way on the north side so it took them a while to get here. Sam told me to stay wolf and wait outside just in case. _

_I heard him scream, Jake. It was bad. I knew something terrible had happened. I tried to phase back, to go check, but I couldn't. I heard Embry inside the house, so I thought maybe he'd be able to do something, but then I heard them fighting. I didn't know what to do, so I went to . . . Rachel's and howled until Paul came out. He tried to phase but couldn't. Eventually, he figured out I couldn't either, and he just followed me to Sam's. We got there just in time because I'm pretty sure Sam would have killed Embry._

_Anyhow, a few minutes after Paul arrived, Sam collapsed. Paul got a hold of Collin to see if he could phase, which he couldn't, then Embry called Leah and you know the rest._

_What __about __the __leech? _I asked.

_She escaped into the water again._

_Was she alone?_

_Seems like. We only caught the one scent, and we've been everywhere. She got past us because she came in through town! Can you believe that?_

_Okay._

_Jake?_

_Yeah?_

_I think you're our Alpha now. _

Fuck. He was right. I could feel it. This was the last thing I needed right now, but I couldn't exactly whine about it. There were other things we had to deal with first.

_Look, __we __can __talk __about __that __later, __right __now __we __have __to __decide __what __we're __going __to __do __with __Emily's __body._

It wasn't fair that we had to cover up this murder like _we_ were the criminals. Wasn't it bad enough that one of _them_ had come onto our land and killed the Alpha's imprint? They had to go and leave a legal mess for a bunch of poor teenagers to deal with, too. I showed the three of them the body I had examined earlier.

_Shit, __those __bruises __are __gonna __be __a __problem, _Jared noted.

_At __least __they're __too __small __to __be __any __of __our __fingers, _Brady added.

_Yeah, __there's __that, __but __we're __still __stuck __with __an __unsolved __murder, _I reminded them.

_Man, __I __think __it's __time __Charlie __was __let __in __on __the __secret, _Quil suggested.

_We __can't __do __that. __Even __if __we __got __the __council __to __agree, __there's __the __treaty __to __consider, _Jared said.

_What? __You __think __those __damn __'vegetarian' __parasites __are __going __to __attack __us __because __we __told __the __father-in-law?_ I was pissed off and cringed at the word "father-in-law." I wasn't pissed at Quil. It was the situation. It seemed like we were always covering for them, and what did we ever get in return?

_The __body __has __to __be __burned. _It was Jared that said what we all knew, but didn't want to voice.

_Sam __is __**not **__going __to __go __for __that,_ Quil commented.

_Sam's __not __in __any __condition __to __be __consulted, _I noted. _There's __no __other __way. __We __need __to __talk __to __the __council._

I knew I'd have to be the one to go to the 'council', or in this case, my dad. What a fucking mess! I was pacing back and forth, when Quil's thoughts interrupted mine.

_Wait_, _if __Jake's __our __Alpha __now, __maybe __we __can __phase __back?_

Before anyone could answer, Quil's thoughts were gone and he stood before us, human. Brady and Jared followed suit. I was going to do the same when I felt Sam and Leah enter my head.

_Kill. Kill. Kill the damn leech._

_Jake? You out there? Sam's lost it again. He's turned wolf and…_

_Got it, Leah. He's in my head._

_Tear it, burn it, find its coven._

_He's headed towards the ocean._

_I told you, he's in my head._

_Water. It went into the water. Got to find it._

Leah reached him first, but she couldn't take him down. She did, however, slow his advance, which let me catch up to them. I could see him at the edge of the tree line. The moon was shining behind him, reflecting off the ocean. Leah kept ramming into him, trying to stop him, but she was no match for Sam's wolf. He tossed her all over the place with barely any effort.

I came between them, pinning down the large, black wolf. The grey wolf lay a few feet from us, panting and bleeding. Sam lay beneath me, no longer struggling. Both of them were almost catatonic as their minds drifted to the pain that brought them here.

Their thoughts overwhelmed me.

Leah's mind led her to just a few minutes ago as she lay in bed with Sam. His naked body touched her bare skin as she rubbed his back and kissed his shoulders. I heard her whisper, "Shhh . . . I'm here for you, Sam. Your Lee Lee is here." Sam's tears mixed with Leah's and he called out. He called out for Emily. Leah's body felt like it was caving in on itself. She was barely able to breathe as Emily's name rang in her ears.

Sam replayed the events from earlier in the night, when he found Emily, dead.

His wolf had run to the house as fast as it could, searching for Emily's heartbeat. It heard nothing. Sam went human, whipping the door open so hard that one of the hinges broke loose from the frame. She was lying on the ground, lifeless and pale. Embry was shouting something, trying to calm him, but Sam just lashed out. Embry kept at it, even in his bleeding, broken state as each hit from Sam damaged him again and again.

Finally, Sam had fallen to the floor, onto his stomach. It was like his bones were no longer able to hold his body up. Something in his world felt displaced. . . . _Something __in __his __world __felt __displaced_.

I knew this feeling. How did I know this feeling? At first, I thought the familiarity was because I experienced it through Sam's memories, but that wasn't it. That's not what Leah's thoughts felt like. _I_ had actually _experienced_ this. It wasn't to the same depth, or scale, but it was the same.

_Bella's baby._

_What the fuck, Jake?_ Leah asked, interrupting my thoughts. Shit. I had been reflecting Sam's thoughts in my own mind allowing Leah to see them too.

_I don't know, and I'm not going to talk about it. Keep it to yourself!_

She didn't answer. She didn't need to. Leah didn't want to know. Quite frankly, I didn't either. Whatever it was, it didn't feel . . . right.

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><p><em>I will include this schedule with the next update as well. <em>_The posting schedule over the holidays will be as follows:_

_Monday Dec. 26th - Chapter 11_

_Thursday Dec. 29th - Chapter 12_

_Saturday Dec. 31st - Chapter 13_

_Saturday Jan. 07th - Chapter 14_

_Then back to the regular Monday/Thursday update schedule until the story is finished._

_Thank you for reading, and if you enjoyed this, why not show your appreciation with a review? I love reviews!_


	10. Alibi

_What are the wolves going to do about Emily? _

_Thank you ShadowPast620 for being there as my beta, shrink and cheerleader!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 10 - Alibi<strong>

"The sun's going to come up soon. If we're doing this, we have to do it now."

Sue Clearwater was right. Thank God she was here. I didn't know if it was her experience as a nurse that helped her keep a level head during a crisis, but whatever it was, she was the voice of reason right now.

"If we want this to be convincing, we have to start it in the kitchen. Leah, you get Emily into something else other than pajamas. I'm going to set things up in the kitchen."

Leah carried Emily's body into the bedroom, as her mother started searching inside some kitchen drawers.

"Who knows a bit about electrical stuff?" Embry raised his hand like a kid in school. Actually, it's pretty much how we all felt, as we stood around awaiting orders from Sue. In fact, even Old Quil and Dad didn't interrupt her. "Okay, you go find the panel and do something so there's no power to the kitchen. If you can find a blown fuse, and replace the one that's in there with it, that would be perfect."

"No problem, Sue. I have one at home." Embry ran out the door, taking off his shirt along the way.

"Lucky for us they have a gas stove. Now we need to work out a story about why Sam wasn't home," Sue muttered, as she started tossing bacon out of the refrigerator.

That was a problem. It was hard to explain why Emily's fiancée was gone in the middle of the night on a weekday. The worst part was, Sam was in no condition to be under any sort of scrutiny. There was no way he'd be able to answer any questions and keep up the facade of whatever alibi we came up with for him.

"He just has to be gone, Sue," I said. We all knew whatever we came up with would probably not make Sam look like an upstanding guy.

"I know, Jake. I just hate that the pack will end up with the short end of the stick when you're taking all the risks." That was the story of our lives. The leeches got the fast cars, impeccable records and all the money, while we got stuck with covering up their messes and coming off as bums.

"There's no other way," Old Quil conceded. "Who's going to keep him away?" he asked, turning to look at us.

"We'll do it," Paul offered, pointing to himself and Jared. "We're strong enough to keep him from running off until things settle."

"I don't know if we want to have all three of you missing," Sue commented.

"No problem," Dad offered. "Rach and I will confirm that Paul was over all night and I'm sure Kim will vouch for Jared, right?" Dad looked over at Jared. He sighed with resignation but nodded. Kim was young. Saying Jared was with her all night would mar her reputation, as well as get her in trouble with her parents. Even worse, was that she lived at home, which meant everyone would think Jared had sneaked into her room with her parents right there. It was so unfair.

"Okay, well, then off with you boys," Sue commanded, with less vigor. "Make sure no one sees you leaving, and we'll take care of things here. Don't call us. We'll send someone out to get you. Take Sam's truck. It'll be more convincing if it's gone. "

Jared nodded as they made their way out, carrying a catatonic Sam with them.

Leah had come back into the room, carrying a completely dressed Emily. Sue looked down at her watch.

"Okay, four in the morning. I think it's reasonable enough to assume someone might get up and decide it wasn't worth going back to sleep. Let's get this started."

Sue cooked up all the bacon she had taken out earlier, keeping all the grease that had accumulated in the pan. It wouldn't be such a far stretch for Emily to be cooking up all this bacon. She often fed the whole pack.

While she was doing this, the rest of us were ordered to dig around for flammable items that would not seem out of place in the kitchen. We laid out a few cookbooks, a notepad, some parchment paper, paper towels and a bunch of brown lunch bags. We got all the packs of matches we could find and put them into a cardboard box on the counter, just under the curtains. Leah tore one edge of the drapes just to the side of the stove so that it dangled. Next, she set up candles around the cooking area, lighting them all. Embry had already finished cutting power to the kitchen.

The next part was more difficult. Leah held up Emily's body in front of the stove while I splashed hot bacon grease on her. I could smell it sear into her dead skin. We didn't have time to let it cool.

"Okay, Mom, the rest of you have to leave. Jake and I'll be fine if the fire gets out of control suddenly, but you won't. Collin and Quil are out patrolling the perimeter in case anyone comes around. Seth and Brady are waiting outside to show you the way through the woods."

None of them had driven here. We didn't want anyone to see the council members coming to Emily's place in the middle of the night. Instead, they had driven in the Clearwater's truck, parked off road in a secluded area, and we had assisted them through the forest into the backyard.

Once everyone was long gone, Leah and I looked at each other. I nodded and she took a deep breath before turning on the gas and lighting it with a match. She tossed the box carelessly to the side, letting the extra matches roll all over the counter. I held Emily's body up in front of it, bending her forward as though she were cooking. The pan was filled with bacon grease and there was a glass with a bit of water in it, sitting just next to the stove. We waited as the grease heated up, smoking. Once it was good and hot, I swung Emily's arm in a wide arc, making sure the water in the glass tipped into the hot pan. Instantly, the grease spat up violently, spilling out and catching on fire from the flames lapping up the sides of the pan.

It was difficult for us as we held on to Emily while her clothing, hair and skin caught fire. We had to wait to ensure she would burn before we could leave. For good measure, Leah tipped the pan slightly, as I let Emily's body fall, making the grease leave a fiery trail down from the stove to her body. It only took seconds for the paper, matches and drapes to ignite in flames as the grease bounced everywhere. All the windows in the room were closed to ensure no escaping smoke would alert neighbours before enough damage was done. We were lucky the house was in a secluded area.

Once the kitchen was pretty much filled with smoke, and it seemed everything that could burn was already in flames, Leah and I made our escape. We ran as fast as we could, not because we feared being burned. We wanted to run away from the memory of burning Emily.

All of us spent the rest of the morning in our own beds, waiting to hear about the fire. No one was even on patrol. The only exceptions were Jared, Paul and Sam. I had no idea where they were, or what story they would come up with, and I didn't want to know. To say those next couple of hours were anxiety filled was an understatement.

It wasn't until five-thirty that I heard Charlie's phone ring. This was good. An hour was more than enough time for the small house to burn to the ground. There would be no evidence of a murder.

From the bedroom, I heard a very groggy Chief of Police answer the phone.

"Hello?"

"Charlie? Something happened down at the reservation that needs to be investigated. The Fire Marshall asked if you could meet him down there. He doesn't want all the folks there to get defensive, and he knows you're trusted by the Quileute."

"Uh, yeah, sure. What happened?"

"One of the houses burned to the ground with a girl in it. Looks like it was probably a kitchen fire gone wrong, but the boyfriend's missing. Could be something fishy going on. The kid doesn't exactly come from the best family, you know?" How nice. Sam was being judged based on his father's reputation. Yeah, because _that_ would be the fair thing to do. . . .

"All right, I'll meet him down there in thirty minutes. Where was the fire?"

"Do you know Emily Young?"

"You mean Sam Uley's fiancée?"

"Yeah, that's the one."

"Are you telling me Emily is dead?"

"Yeah, or at least we assume it's her. We have to get dental records to identify the body."

"Shit, she's just a few years older than my Bella. Wait, you guys think _Sam_ had something to do with this?"

"Well, it happened at something like four or five in the morning, and he's nowhere to be found. They lived together."

"Mark, I don't think Sam's involved in this. I'm sure there's a good reason why he's missing." At least Charlie thought better of us.

"Well, you know them better than I do, Charlie. I'll meet you down there."

"Okay, see you soon."

I heard some shuffling around before the water started in the shower. I guess it would be reasonable to assume the hot water pipes thumping inside the walls had awoken me. I got out of bed, put on some clothes, and made my way to the kitchen. Charlie came in just as I was dishing up some scrambled eggs for us.

"Hey, Jake. You're up already?"

"Yeah, I heard the water come on. You got an early shift today, Charlie?"

"No, actually something came up. Aw, hell, I should probably just tell you about it. It's only a matter of time before you find out. There's been a fire over in La Push."

I did my best to look both shocked and concerned.

"Where? Are Rach and Billy okay? Was anyone hurt?"

"Hold up! It wasn't at your place, but someone is . . . hurt. You're friendly with Sam Uley, right?"

"Yeah, did something happen to him?"

"No, but his place burned down, and it looks like Emily was in the house when it happened."

"Emily. . . ." I whispered the name, as if fearing the worst, when I already knew. "She's not . . . I mean, she'll be okay, won't she?"

"Jake, she's dead."

"Shit! Where's Sam? Was he hurt? I've got to go see him. He's going to be a mess!"

I put the pan of eggs down on the stove and started heading for the door.

"Hold up, Jake!" Charlie grabbed my arm, stopping me. "We don't know where Sam is. That's part of the problem. Do you know if he was out of town for some reason, or maybe he's got some job that starts real early in the morning?"

"I don't know, Charlie. You know, Sam and I . . . we haven't really talked much since . . . I got back."

"Yeah, I know. Listen, kid, why don't we eat this breakfast you fixed for us and then we can go down there together. The Fire Marshall asked me to meet him there because he needs some cooperation, and he thought me being a friendly face would help. If you came with me, it would make this that much easier."

"Sure, sure, Charlie, anything to help."

We were at Emily's place in less than thirty minutes. Already, a big crowd had formed around the smoldering ruins. The place was just a pile of smoking ashes and charred bits of wood. Even the wet, Washington air hadn't tamed the ferocity of the fire.

I saw Old Quil, Billy, and a few of the guys in the crowd, but there was no sign of Sue Clearwater. I wondered if this was part of the "alibi" they had come up with.

A man in a thick jacket ran up to us and held out his hand to Charlie. I was guessing he was the Fire Marshall.

"Charlie, been a while. Sorry we had to meet under these circumstances," he said in greeting.

"Hank, good to see you, again. What can I say? It's all part of the job. So, what's your assessment so far?" Charlie asked, as he looked over at what was left of Emily's home.

"Well, it seems like it might have started in the kitchen. There was a pan right next to the . . . body and a lot of grease, or so it seems. We have some samples to take to the lab and one of my guys here is checking the electrical system."

"It's a shame, young girl like that, but I don't understand why you needed me," Charlie said, shaking his head.

The Fire Marshall looked over at me apprehensively before answering. Charlie noticed and jerked his head, motioning to give him a little privacy. I went to go stand with Quil and Embry, but of course, we heard it all.

"The thing is, Charlie, it _looks_ like a kitchen fire, but the circumstances are kind of unusual."

"What circumstances are you talking about, Hank?"

"Well, she lived with her boyfriend. . . ."

"Yeah, I know him, Sam Uley. He's a good kid."

"Yeah, except this happened real early. I mean, someone called it in just after five in the morning, but we only found the remains of one body. Five is kind of early to be cooking."

"Well, Emily might have gotten up early, and maybe Sam was out late and stayed over somewhere? You know, lots of women can't sleep well when their men aren't at home," Charlie offered.

"Sure, if it were a Saturday night or something, but today's Tuesday. Who stays out all night on a Monday? And this Sam guy is _still_ nowhere to be found."

"Okay, well maybe we can ask around. I know almost everyone here, and they all knew Sam. I bet there's a simple explanation for this."

"See, that's what I was hoping. I didn't want to start pointing fingers, which is why I asked you here. You'd probably be a better choice for . . . asking around, if you don't mind. I already spoke to a few neighbors, but they started to get defensive after a little while."

"No problem, Hank. Anything in particular you want to know?"

"How about if I came around with you? My guys know what they're doing here. I can leave them for a bit."

"Sure. You know, a lot people I'd ask are here right now. Why don't we get started?"

"The sooner, the better."

I saw the two men approach me and my pack mates first.

"Hey, Jake, can I just talk to you and your friends for a few minutes?" Charlie asked.

"Sure, Charlie, anything we can do to help?"

"Well, you guys hang out with Sam sometimes, right?"

"Yeah, sure. He helps out a lot on the reservation and stuff," Quil answered.

"Well, you boys know where he is right now, or where he was last night?"

"No," Embry replied. "I mean, usually he's here with Emily. Wasn't he home when this all happened?"

"We don't think so," the Fire Marshall supplied. "Do you know if Sam and his girlfriend were having any . . . problems?"

"Well, sometimes they had some trouble making ends meet, but Sam usually found some odd job here or there on top of his regular stuff when that happened. Is that what you mean?" I offered.

"What about their . . . ah . . . relationship?" Charlie asked, picking up on Hank's direction. "They fight much?"

"Not more than most couples I suppose." Quil shrugged as he said this. Something was definitely up. Those two _never_ fought. Sam literally _couldn't_ fight with Emily, not if he expected to win.

"Some of the neighbors have said that Sam's been seen coming and going at all hours of the night." Hank commented.

"We wouldn't know anything about that. We see Sam around, and he helps out at the Youth Center and all, but he's a bit older than us. We don't talk to him about his personal life." Embry was acting like we didn't know Sam at all. Was this what they had decided to do after I left them?

"All right, and where were you boys last night?"

"Oh, Hank, these boys had nothing to do with . . ." Charlie began, but then he looked at Hank's questioning glance and stopped mid-sentence. "Well, Jake here has been staying with me, and I can vouch for him. He's been sleeping soundly in the room right next to mine all night, and we had breakfast together just before coming over here."

"Okay, Charlie." The Fire Marshall turned to Quil and Embry. "What about you boys?"

"I've been home all night, and got woken up by my grandpa. He got a call about this fire," Quil answered. "He's on the council," he added. "I drove him over here."

"I was at home sleeping, too," Embry replied. "I live with my mom, over on the other side of town. She was home when I got up, but now she's on her way to work." That was good. That meant Embry didn't get caught for being out last night.

After taking down some contact information, Charlie and the Fire Marshall moved on. I saw them talk to Old Quil and my dad, before they moved on to a few others in the crowd.

Just then, Sue Clearwater appeared. She stood a few feet from Charlie, as if waiting for him to finish what he was doing. He noticed her and went over.

"Sue, is there anything I can do for you?"

"Hello, Charlie. I heard you boys were looking for Sam."

"Do you have some information for us?"

"I do, but I'd like it if we could speak in private. It's personal, and you know how word spreads on the reservation. . . ."

Charlie took her arm and moved away from the crowd. In hushed voices, they continued their conversation.

"Now, Sue, I can't promise to keep everything confidential, but I'll do my best."

"I know you will, Charlie. It's Leah. You know how much she's been through the last couple of years. . . ."

Charlie nodded, but didn't say anything.

"Well, she's been seeing Sam again, recently. She didn't come home last night, and I'm pretty sure she's with him. Actually, I know she's with him because Seth told me he saw her sneak out last night and get into Sam's truck."

"Do you know when that happened?" Charlie asked.

"It was just before I came home from the hospital. That would have been just around midnight, I guess. You can talk to Seth to confirm the time, if you need to."

"Well, thanks Sue. That's real helpful of you. I'll do my best to keep the . . . er . . . details to a minimum."

"I know you will, Charlie." With that, Sue turned and walked away.

Leah? I guess it was a pretty believable story, and it gave Sam a great alibi for being away last night, and all those nights he'd been on patrol. No one would doubt _that_ was the truth because it was exactly the type of gossip everyone loved to talk about. Great, just another day in the life of a cheating, good for nothing bum. Sue was right, the pack _did_ end up getting the short end of the stick while taking all the risks.

I looked around at the crowd. My dad and Old Quil were leaders of our people but right now, they just stood there looking old, weak and poor. They were powerless to change their lot in life. I turned to Quil and Embry, two great, loyal friends. Both of them were honest, hard working and bright, not to mention protectors that kept the supernatural world invisible to everyone else. And Sue Clearwater, strong, determined, and now a single mother. She worked double shifts on a regular basis just so she could afford to feed her two werewolf children. All of us were heroes. We risked our lives and gave up our dreams to fight those that threatened the people around us, and in the end, we lost everything.

I thought about the Cullens, and the big white house that had become our "home base" of late. How was it fair that those killers who had cheated death, fate and the stock market got everything just by promising not to murder anyone . . . _anymore_? Had they ever been punished for any of the deaths that had soiled their hands?

With a bitter taste in my mouth, my eyes drifted down to my hands. They were black with soot. I brushed my them on my jeans, trying to get the ash off. It left smudges on the sturdy denim, and yet, my hands were still dirty. Frustrated, I gave up, shoved my hands in my pockets, and walked away.

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><p><em>The posting schedule over the holidays will be as follows:<em>

_Monday Dec. 26th - Chapter 11_

_Thursday Dec. 29th - Chapter 12_

_Saturday Dec. 31st - Chapter 13_

_Saturday Jan. 07th - Chapter 14_

_Then back to the regular Monday/Thursday update schedule until the story is finished._

_Thank you for reading, and as always, I appreciate reviews!_


	11. Desire

_It seems a lot of you are wondering what's going on with the Cullens, and if Bella is going to make an appearance. Well, as advertised, this is a Jacob/Bella fic, even if it's starting to seem like a Sam/Leah story. That is just my little 'play within a play' sort of thing that I'm using to‒ Oh! Well, I'm sure you already know, but just in case, I wouldn't want to give it all away. Anyhow, it's not the main event. _

_This chapter has some more of the S/L secondary story BUT you are going to hear (well sort of) from the Cullens and find out (kind of) what Bella will be doing next. Just hang in there, things will begin to take shape very soon._

_Thank you to my beta: **ShadowPast620**, my word ninja, who has beta'ed this chapter twice (I think, or was that three times?). All these quick updates over the holidays were made possible because **she** has made herself available to me during this busy time! _

_In fact, it is late at night on Dec. 23rd as I type this and she is reading two other chapters I have sent her, one of which she is reading for the **third** time because I re-wrote it that many times!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 11 - Desire<strong>

"Look, even if I _did_ want to call her, I wouldn't know how to get a hold of her," I shouted.

"Well, I'm tired of not knowing, and all this fucking patrolling!" Leah yelled back.

"No one's happy with the situation, Leah," Embry commented calmly.

It had been a rotten Christmas, and it looked like the New Year would be anything but happy. The good news was the pack was together again. The bad news was I was the Alpha for the whole lot of them.

Sam was a wreck and hadn't phased since Emily died. He didn't get out of bed much, and wouldn't talk to anyone, except Leah. It was as though he had lost himself. In a way, he was better off in his catatonic state, unaware of what was happening around him.

The bad news was, Sam's reputation had gone from protector and role model to cheating, lying, good-for-nothing bum, who had turned out to be just like his father.

Sam's own mother wouldn't let him come back to live with her. She was in pain thinking Sam had abandoned Emily, just as her own husband had abandoned her. She assumed, as did many others, that Sam had left Emily because of her scars, especially since he had left her for the beautiful Leah.

As if that wasn't enough injustice, rumors ran amuck about Leah being a home-wrecker and a hussy, running around with her cousin's fiancée. Funny how they all forgot Sam was hers to begin with, and according to those same gossips, Emily had once been the "hussy" who had run around with _her_ cousin's man.

They were blamed for Emily's death. I don't know who started it, but someone came up with the theory that Emily found out Sam had run off with Leah, couldn't sleep, got up to cook, didn't pay attention, and the fire started. On top of that, Leah was blamed for luring Sam away from his home, preventing him from saving his fiancée. The good news was no one thought they were legally culpable. They all believed the story that the two of them had run off to "do the deed" in Sam's truck around midnight and fell asleep after.

We ended up moving Sam into the old Cullen place with Leah and Seth. It turned out to be the best thing for him because Leah was the only person he would respond to. He wouldn't even acknowledge any of us when we spoke. If it hadn't been for her, we weren't sure he'd eat or drink. This was a mixed blessing for all of us.

The good news was Leah was no longer a bitter harpy, constantly filling our minds with her rancor. The bad news was, she had traded all that for anxiety. She was worried she'd lose Sam all over again and maybe this time she wouldn't survive. I knew exactly how she felt. She was also afraid that if she didn't lose Sam, she would still only be second choice. Again, I knew exactly how she felt. It was pretty shitty knowing Leah Clearwater was my empathetic comrade-in-arms.

"Leah's got a point. We're all worn out. Patrolling the coast, along with Forks, is too much for us. There's got to be some way you can reach them, Jake. Maybe you could ask Charlie or something." I knew Quil wouldn't have asked unless things were pretty bad, and they were.

Even with a pack as large as ours, we were still worn thin patrolling the coast and the western border beyond Forks, in anticipation of an attack from the Alaskan coven. No one was comfortable thinking they wouldn't retaliate for the loss of a limb just because they were "vegetarian." The one that had visited us earlier in the month was pissed enough that she killed Emily. Losing an arm couldn't be just nothing to her, or her coven.

This had been the topic, on and off, since Christmas. Everyone wanted me to contact the Cullens because they knew this coven. Of course, I hadn't had any contact with Bella in months, and Charlie only got excuses emailed from her. She never called. To be honest, I wasn't sure if she was still human. If she were, wouldn't she have come to see Charlie for Christmas?

In any case, how was I expected to find them? What was I supposed to do? Try Googling? Wait!

"Seth, you got the computer running?" One good thing about having the Cullen place as our new "home base" was that it was outfitted with practically everything.

"Yeah. What did you want me to look up?"

I was pretty sure the lot of them didn't have Facebook accounts or anything, but Carlisle would probably still be working as a doctor. Would he be using the same name? They were the same as the ones they had used eighty years ago. Maybe they were attached to them. . . .

"Look up Dr. Carlisle Cullen." Would it be that easy? Was it possible?

"Done. He's working at some hospital in New Hampshire." It _was_ that easy. Not only was he there, right on the screen, but they were exactly where they had told everyone they were going to be.

"Great, we found him. Now what? Should I just call up Dr. Fang and ask him if his 'children' can give us lessons on how to kill their 'extended family'?" I asked no one in particular.

"I can call, Jake," Seth volunteered. "I don't mind letting Carlisle know what's been going on. I'm sure he'll understand. I mean, she killed Emily. Imagine if something like that had happened to Esme, or . . . well, anyway, I'll call. If that's okay with everyone."

"Fine. It's not like he'd want to talk to any of _us_," I gave in grudgingly, but I knew we were lucky to have the kid on our side. Straddling the fence, the way he did with us and the Cullens, was turning out to be pretty handy right now.

It didn't take long. Luckily, Seth actually got to speak directly to the doc, instead of leaving a message. After a few pleasantries, Seth told him all about Emily, and the doc offered to help us out.

"_Seth, I cannot express to you how saddened I am to hear this. My heart goes out to Sam, and the whole pack. We're sorry that these hardships have struck you, and I know we are responsible. We should never have returned to the area. It was our presence that attracted Laurent and the rest there._"

_Yeah, damn right you stinking parasite!_ I thought.

"Hey, it's not your fault, Carlisle. You couldn't have foreseen what was going to happen!"

_Fucking sympathetic kid. Couldn't see, my ass! Didn't they have a god damn clairvoyant? _I grumbled in my head.

"_I will get in touch with the Denalis immediately and get back to you. I see you are calling from our old home, in Forks. I hope you have been comfortable there. If there is anything we can provide for you while you house sit for us . . .?_"

"Everything's been great here, Carlisle, thanks. Tell Edward I said 'hi', too."

"_Yes, of course . . . again, my condolences. I_ _will let everyone know you called. I'm sure they will be happy to hear all of you are doing well, for the most part, as you say._"

_Yeah, doc, if that'll ease your compassion-filled, malfunctioning heart, you go ahead and believe we're all 'doing well, for the most part'. All of us except for the one who died, her fiancée, his ex-girlfriend and everyone else affected by the vicious gossiping. Yeah, we're all hunky dory, asshole! _My mind was a whirlwind of expletives as my anger flared.

I had had enough. I grabbed the phone from Seth.

"Look, you have one hour to get back to us. If we don't hear back from you by then, we're going to Alaska and killing all of them. We can run there, and we know their numbers are much smaller than ours. Do we have an understanding?"

"Yes, Jacob, I assure you, we will get back to you within the hour."

I didn't wait for a goodbye; I just hung up.

"Shit, maybe we shouldn't have called them," Paul said the minute I hung up. "What if they just warn that damn coven and they come back to Forks in some sort of surprise attack? Maybe the Cullens are going to join them to take us all down."

"Aw, man, how many times do I have to tell you guys? They're not bad people. The Cullens are cool. Carlisle even feels really badly about how their coming back here turned us all into shape shifters. He never would have come back if he knew it would do this to us."

"Shape shifters? Is that what they call us?" Jared asked.

"Yeah. Apparently, there were real werewolves, like with the full moon and everything. They're pretty much extinct now. Anyhow, we aren't like them at all. According to Carlisle, we're shape shifters. It's just that our 'shape' happens to be a wolf, but it could have been anything else, really."

"You spent way too much time hanging around with those leeches, squirt," Quil commented, as he ruffled Seth's hair. Seth looked irritated, as he tried to wave away Quil's hand.

"Well, I say we just take the fight to them. The last thing we need is another battle on our home turf," Paul insisted. "You were right, Jake, when you said we could take those Alaskan bloodsuckers. We should go now, before they get a chance to plan out strategies or anything."

"I don't know, Paul . . ." Seth began.

"Okay, listen, kid. We've all humored you for a long time now, but I'm done being nice about this. Those parasites killed one of ours! We can't just let them get away with that!"

Paul _did_ have a point. If it had been Bella, what would I have done? I didn't need to ask that question. I already knew the answer. If we didn't do this now, Sam would, as soon as his brain started functioning again. It was better if the pack went, with a level head, than to wait until Sam came around and acted on his own.

Before I could add in my opinions, the phone rang again. _Well, that was fast, _I thought. I picked it up. I wasn't going to let Seth take up all our time with niceties again.

"Hello?" I had to start off polite. Maybe it wasn't the leech-leader.

"Jacob, this is Carlisle. I'm glad you were the one to answer."

No such luck.

"Yeah, so what do you have for us?"

"You were right, the Denalis are not pleased with the situation, but they hadn't made any decisions as to a course of action. Irina, the one your pack encountered earlier this month, had been away from the family since the fall. She had been grieving and…"

"Listen," I interjected, "no one here gives a flying fuck what her mental state was. She killed one of ours! You can't tell me that you would leave things unanswered if someone killed one of _your_ _coven_!"

"I understand your anger, Jacob, but…"

"But nothing!" I yelled into the phone, interrupting him again. "You don't understand! How long has it been since you've lost anything? When was the last time any of you wanted something and didn't get it? Let me tell you, wanting and losing has been the story of our lives!"

"There is another . . . issue for us right now. I can assure you the Denalis will not be coming onto your lands again. They are going to be joining us for some time."

Issue? What other issue was he talking about? Then again, did I _really_ want to know?

"How do I know you're telling the truth? And what about Emily? Is that just going to go unanswered?"

"I assure you, Jacob, that we will discuss that situation in due time, but there is something more urgent. We're sending someone to La Push to speak with you in person . . . about these other issues. We have no desire to involve the Quileutes, as it is our problem not yours, but…"

"But, but, but. . . ." I cut in. "There's always some excuse for you to fuck up our lives!" I felt a hand on my arm, warning me to calm down. I didn't bother to look over. "We don't want any of you on our lands, unless you're bringing the one armed parasite! We're killing any of you that dare to step on our land! Do you understand?"

"We are sending Bella."

Leave it to them to send the only one I couldn't kill. Wait, if they were sending her did that mean they no longer feared for her because she was one of them? She promised me she'd talk to me first. . . . I felt my heart skip a beat before it began to cave in on itself. No words would escape my lips. The silence remained for some time, until someone took the phone out of my hands.

"Why is the leech-lover coming here?" I heard Leah bark.

"_Because she is the only one you will trust, and she insists on being the . . . ambassador in this case. There is also reason for her to be . . . away from here for a short time. Unfortunately, we cannot send her on her own. It wouldn't be safe. My son, Jasper, will be accompanying her._"

She wouldn't be safe. That meant she was still _my_ Bella. Well, not _mine_, but still human.

"Look, we don't want any of you here on the reservation. I don't care if the fu‒"

I grabbed the phone out of Leah's hand before she could finish.

"Why Jasper? Why not your little fortune teller?" She would be easier for us to get rid of, if it came down to it. "Bella's best buds with her or something, right?"

"We need Alice's talents for other purposes right now, and being on the reservation would render her blind. We know Edward would not be welcomed, I have a role to play here as well, Rosalie refuses to go with Bella, and she will not allow Emmett to accompany her."

"What about your little woman, Doc?"

"Edward would like Bella to have more protection than Esme would be able to provide."

Yeah, more like Eddie wanted to make sure his mood ring brother was here to keep us all sedated, or something. Whatever the case, Bella was coming back, and as much as I knew it would torture me, that still trumped everything else.

"Fine, but just the one escort, and he's not allowed to use his little magic tricks on us. He steps out of line with that even once and the deal is off! In fact, he can't use it on Bella either while he's here!"

There was a brief pause before he answered. "Yes, Jacob, that is a reasonable request. Jasper will reserve his talents for other purposes. Also, you need not worry, he will be Bella's only companion. He is more than we can spare."

_More than we can spare_? What was that all about? Something really was up, and now it had my mind spinning. I was going to bark some more questions at him, but he just hung up. Huh. It wasn't like the doc to be so abrupt. He hadn't even told us when we could expect Bella and her "escort" to arrive.

We stood around for a few seconds, just listening to the dial tone, not knowing what to do or say. Leah broke the silence.

"I'm going upstairs to check on Sam. You guys let me know once our fearless leader has come out of his stupor." She didn't wait for a reply before getting out of the large armchair.

We all turned at the same time, our eyes following Leah as she made her way to the staircase, and saw him. Sam had come downstairs. We didn't know how long he had been standing there, or if he was even aware of what had transpired over the telephone. He looked a little better. It was nothing close to what anyone would call "well" but his eyes weren't glazed over like they usually were.

"Hey, Sam," Embry greeted him. None of us expected Sam to respond. He hadn't in weeks.

"Embry," Sam answered firmly. We all stared at him with our mouths gaping open. Sam turned, and looked at Leah. "I think I want to go for a run."

Leah went over to him, put the palm of her hand on his face and replied, "Sure, Sam, anything you want. I'll come with you."

"Leah, I don't know if that's a good idea. Maybe I should go with the two of you." As I recalled, Sam was no longer in our heads. It wasn't safe for Leah to run with Sam on her own. Who knew what might happen? At least I'd be able to "speak" to him, if it became necessary. I was also strong enough to incapacitate him, if things got really bad.

I saw Leah look over at me, disappointed. She knew all my reasons, but she wanted this intimate thing, this moment with him alone. All these weeks, she had nursed Sam and worried over him, but she also hoped to get him back. There was nothing she wanted more, now. Finally, she gave in, with resignation. If nothing else, she was always practical.

"Okay, suit yourself, Black."

"You want any of us to come, too, Jake?" Embry asked. I saw the concern in his eyes, but I didn't want Sam to feel crowded. "Jake, we don't know what the . . . situation will be. . . ." He was talking about how Sam would handle not being the Alpha of the pack anymore. No one knew what would happen once Sam phased. Would he be part of the new pack, _my_ pack? Would he be on his own, as I had been when I first broke away? What we all feared the most, was that our wolves would feel compelled to fight for the Alpha position. I hesitated, during which time Leah answered.

"Just you and Jake, Embry, no one else," she said curtly, as she grabbed Sam's hand and led him outside. Embry and I followed shortly afterwards.

By the time we reached the clearing, Leah had already phased, and Sam stood there naked and shaking. He looked agitated and intense, as though concentrating on a difficult problem. Embry undressed, phased, and moved to stand close to Sam. I took my shirt off, but stopped when I noticed Sam was sweating and shaking almost violently now.

Leah's wolf went to him and lowered her head, ducking under Sam's hand. She whined quietly, rubbing her head onto the palm of his hand. He took a deep breath and the shaking subsided. Sam stroked Leah's wolf almost absent-mindedly and looked over at me.

"I think I forgot how to phase, Jake," he said to me.

"Come on, Sam, I'll help. We'll do this together."

It was not so different from when some of the newer pack members had changed for the first time. They had trouble phasing back to their human forms, and I was there to help them. It had become my "job" because it came so naturally to me. The biggest difference was that I had to explain it all with words, rather than showing him with my thoughts.

It took a few minutes, but Sam eventually did succumb to his wolf form, but he wasn't the same. He was still black, and big, but the menacing presence the sent shivers down our spines was gone. His eyes didn't hold the same intensity or passion they once had.

Sam and I were able to communicate with each other, similar to how we had when we chased the intruder early in the month. His mind was silent to the others. It was a little strange for me. I kept up a steady, but peaceful pace of conversation with Sam, just to make sure he was together, while at the same time explaining to Embry and Leah what was going on.

Eventually, Sam was more comfortable with running, and with me. He started recalling that night again, going through his discovery of Emily's body. I tried to keep my thoughts clear, and stick to comforting him, but it wasn't always as easy to control what you said to yourself as it was when you were speaking aloud.

I was relaying my sympathy and concern, when it started to creep to understanding and empathy.

_I know how you feel_, I thought, as my mind drifted to the sensation of being displaced.

_Jacob, how is it you have experienced this? Have you imprinted, too?_

_It's nothing, Sam. It's not worth a second thought, okay?_

_Jake? What's going on?_ Embry asked.

_Just shut it, Em, _Leah interjected.

_Let's just move on, _I suggested.

Embry stopped asking outright, but I saw the questions in his mind.

Sam's thoughts wandered now to when Leah, Seth and I had arrived to find him on the floor holding Emily's body. He remembered Leah talking to him. I felt Leah's sadness wash over me as my thoughts echoed what Sam was telling me. It was like I was a mirror for her, reflecting Sam's mind so she could be inside as well.

Leah felt the pain of loss for Emily. All the resentment she had harbored for her was gone as she grieved with Sam. She remembered carrying her body to the couch, laying her down and soothing Sam. She remembered dressing Emily, smoothing her hair and cleaning her up. Then Leah was carrying Emily in her arms to the kitchen . . . I was in the moment with her, feeling the anguish, my arms like stones, not wanting to go forward with what we had to do.

All of us were heavy with the burden of sorrow and loss.

_Where is Emily now?_ Sam asked.

It caught us off guard. I searched for a fast, easy answer, but instead I saw flames in my mind. They were flames burning Emily's hair, in a halo of fire.

_No! Why?_

Sam was racing away from us. His thoughts were closed off from mine, as he cut his ties to me. We all ran after him, but he had a head start. Sam sped faster and faster, towards the mountains to the east.

Leah caught up to him first. She ran just past him and turned, trying to stop him with her body. Sam collided into her, knocking her over, yet barely slowing himself down. Leah had the wind knocked out of her, but she was up again in a split second, running.

By this time, I was there next to her, and Embry was close on my heels. I didn't want to hurt Sam, but he was out of control, and no one was in his head. He could hurt himself, cause harm to others, or reveal our secret.

_Leah, once we get a few more lengths, we have to jump him together, got it?_

_Yeah, got it._ She wasn't happy about my plan, but she understood what had to be done.

We ran with only the thumping of our paws and the whoosh of the wind in our thoughts. There was no need for us to exchange words; we both knew when the time was right. Together, we leaped in the air, landing on the great black wolf. It knocked him down to the ground, halting his advance. Both of us tried to keep him there with our paws, avoiding having to bite him. It wasn't easy.

_I'm coming guys, almost there!_ It was Embry.

_No, Em, that's too dangerous._

_Jake, someone's got to do it, and it can't be you. We need you phased; you're the strongest._

_I can do it. It'll be better if it's me,_ Leah volunteered. I took two seconds too long to contemplate my decision. In those two seconds, Embry arrived, landed on Sam and Leah phased to human.

She fell to the ground in front of Sam's wolf, her face just inches from his. She reached out her hand and placed it on his growling muzzle.

"Sam, I love you. We only did it to protect the pack. That wasn't Emily; it was just her body, not her soul. She's at peace, Sam." I saw tears slide slowly from the corners of Leah's eyes. She was so vulnerable and soft, nothing like the woman we had known these past months. "She was a good person, Sam, and so are you. Your life is worth living. Please, let me help you."

Hesitantly, the black wolf's growls subsided, as his head dropped lower and lower. It fell to the ground as Leah's head went to rest between his ears. She whispered shushing sounds as her arms came around to embrace Sam. Embry and I felt like we were intruding, as though this was a moment that no one should be witness to.

I saw Leah's hand stroke the fur from the top of Sam's head down his neck. She was a stranger to me. I could see in that moment, the woman she was when she had been with Sam; the woman Sam had fallen in love with. She was beautiful, strong and exposed. Everything she felt, and everything she wanted was laid out for all to see. It was the absolute opposite of the Leah we had known.

Sam's thoughts spoke to me. It was like he was voicing his thoughts aloud, forgetting others were around.

He felt the loss of Emily, and the empty space she left in him, but the burden that had paralysed him was slowly drifting away. He felt again. He felt sorrow, anger and . . . desire. He wanted Leah's help. He wanted to heal.

Slowly, I felt a rumbling beneath me, as the black wolf began to shiver. He was trying to phase. I tried to send a message to Sam, but he didn't reply. I wasn't sure if he could hear my thoughts, but I didn't give up. I began to phase, as slowly as I could, showing Sam how I was doing it. We ended up phasing together, as Embry gingerly got up and backed away.

Leah didn't move. She remained, lying on ground, with Sam. It was too intimate for me. I couldn't bear to watch. I reached down for my clothes, put them on and ran out into the woods, human. Embry stayed behind, still in wolf form but remained a few strides away, giving the couple privacy.

Leah, my once comrade-in-arms, had lost her bitterness, and she was getting her Sam back. Sure, he was broken, but he'd come around. Looking at him, seeing into his pain, reminded me of Bella last winter when she came to me with those broken down motorcycles. Leah would make Sam happy with time and patience, the way I had done for Bella. The difference was, Emily wasn't going to come back and sweep him away. She was gone, forever.

I wanted to be happy for them, but I couldn't. Just thinking about them left a sour taste in my mouth and constricted my heart. I was ashamed to find myself envious of Leah. Hadn't I tried harder than her to get my Bella? What had _I_ done wrong? What could _I_ have done differently? Why didn't _I_ get my happily ever after?

* * *

><p><em>What will be coming up in the next chapter? Some observations of Charlie from Jacob (my attempt at a little comic relief in between the angst), Bella and Jacob reunited (sort of), Jasper with the wolves, and some information on what's going on with the Cullens. Does that sound like it'll be worth the wait? I hope so!<em>

_Oh, yes, the update schedule will be changing. Not to worry, you're still getting the same number of chapters in total during the same time span, but distributed on different days. My holiday plans have changed so here's when the next few updates will post:_

_Wednesday Dec. 28th - Chapter 12_

_Either late on Thursday Dec. 29th, or on the morning of Friday Dec. 30th - Chapter 13_

_Later in the day on Saturday January 7th - Chapter 14_

_Then we will be back to the usual Monday/Thursday update schedule until the story is finished. _

_**Thank you for reading, and remember, I love reviews!**_


	12. Solitude

_Many thanks to my beta, **ShadowPast620** who read, beta'ed, re-read, re-beta'ed, then had to go over some "additions." All this and it was Christmas time too!_

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 12 - Solitude<strong>

Every time I thought about her coming back, my heart imploded and became a tiny, crushed mass of dense blood and muscle. It was the blood I had spilled for her and the muscle I had used to save her, again and again.

I was on edge, waiting for her return. Charlie, thank god, left me alone. Other than the usual "hi" and "bye" he didn't even talk to me, unless I talked to him first, which was almost never.

Luckily, the waiting ended the next day, on New Year's Eve, when Charlie got a phone call from her. All my moping around being depressed meant that I was home at the time. The fact that it was Bella meant my brain couldn't convince my body to walk out of the house. I knew listening would chip away at the miniscule pea that my heart had been crushed into, but the need to eavesdrop was too compelling. It was like when a guy saw an ugly, naked chick. He doesn't want to look, but he can't make himself look away. Okay, so it wasn't _exactly_ like that, but close enough.

Charlie and I, being the eligible bachelors we were, had decided to spend New Year's Eve at home watching television. We had steaks for dinner and had just settled in front of the T.V. when the phone rang. I picked up the handset for the cordless phone I got him for Christmas and tossed it over without answering it.

"Hello?" Charlie queried.

"_Hi, Dad_," the all too familiar voice replied.

"Bella?"

"_Yeah, it's me._"

"How's . . . um . . . everything?"

"_Good. Sorry I haven't called_."

"As long as everything's okay, Bells. Everything _is_ okay, isn't it?"

"_Yeah._"

"Okay, good."

Honestly, those two needed lessons on how to conduct a conversation. After about ten seconds of excruciating silence, she finally decided to get to the point.

"_Dad, I'd like to come home for a visit, if that's okay with you._"

Charlie looked over at me, worried. I tried to mouth, "it's okay" but I guess his lip reading skills were poor.

"I'd love to see you, Bells. It's been too long, but . . . er . . . I have a house guest so . . . ah . . . you know . . ."

"_Oh, Dad, I wouldn't want to intrude. I can stay with Angela, or at a hotel, or something._"

"Now, Bells, this is your home. He won't mind moving to the couch while you're here. I just wanted to make sure it'd be okay with you, you know, if this house guest stayed. If it's not okay, I'm sure he could stay with a friend. . . ." Charlie looked over at me again, this time apologetically. I smiled and nodded, trying to look as pleased as possible that Bella was visiting. It was both easy and difficult at the same time.

"_I don't mind, Dad. Uhm . . . is he someone I know?_"

"Yeah." Really, he couldn't just tell her?

"_Who . . . ah . . . is it?_" Listening to the two of them dancing around the facts was torturing me. I wanted to yell out "spit it out for Christ's sake!" but I just sat quietly with that same, stupid smile on my face.

"It's . . . uh . . . Jake. You know, he's been going through a rough time, and he's got a job here in town, so it's kind of easier for him to stay with me, for now."

"_Oh._"

"I can ask him to go stay with one of his friends while you're here. . . ."

"_No, no. That's okay. I don't mind if he's there. We're friends, remember?_"

"Yeah. It's just I wasn't sure, if . . . you know . . . after the wedding . . ."

"_As long as it's okay with Jake. Is he there right now, Dad?_" I started waving my hands around almost violently, shaking my head.

"Uh . . . no. He's . . . ah . . . out." Shit, he was almost as bad a liar as his daughter.

"_Of course, it's New Year's Eve. I'm glad he's out having fun._"

Again, more silence.

"So, when will you be coming home, Bells?"

"_I'm landing in Seattle tomorrow._"

"Oh, uh . . . I can come pick you up at the airport. I have the day off."

"_That's okay, Dad, I can take a cab. I don't want you driving all the way out to Seattle._"

"Well, now don't be silly, Bells. A cab from Seattle to Forks? Even if you _did_ find someone willing to do that, it'd be a fortune."

"_It's okay, Dad. I'll find my way there. I don't want you to go out of your way._"

"You mean you don't want to drive home in the cruiser?" Charlie asked, guessing the real reason.

Well, maybe they _didn't_ need to say much. . . .

"_It's not just that. . . ._"

I saw Charlie looking over at me, pleading with his eyes. I noticed they were the exact same color and shape as hers. I surrendered, tossing my hands up in defeat, and mouthed, "okay." Charlie got this huge smile on his face.

"How about if I came in a different car? With a friend?"

"_Ah . . . okay. My flight gets in at five-thirty. Will that be okay?_"

Again, Charlie looked over at me questioningly. For Christ's sake, I had already agreed to go with him to the airport, what difference did it make what time it was? I nodded, rolling my eyes as I did so.

"Yup, that's great, Bells! See you tomorrow!"

Charlie hung up and nearly leaped out of his seat.

"Come on, Jake. Let's clean up a bit, so Bella won't feel like she has to do it when she gets in. You know what she's like."

"Actually, Charlie, maybe I should move my stuff out of her room. It's time I moved back in with my dad. I've kind of stuck Rachel with him for a while now. I should probably help out some at home."

Charlie got that sad, defeated look that Bella always got when she hurt my feelings. Shit, did he really have to be so much like her?

"Aw, Jake, I wasn't . . . I mean I didn't . . . aw, hell! You can stay! Bella won't mind crashing on the couch for a few days. Maybe the two of you hanging out together might make you . . . er . . . feel better?"

The guy just had no clue. I kind of felt sorry for him, but not as sorry as I felt for myself.

"No, it's okay, Charlie. I was thinking of going back home anyway. It's been two months, already. I can't exactly stay here forever." I stuffed my hands in my pockets and ran upstairs before he could say more. I didn't come back downstairs until lunchtime the next day. I would have stayed in that room longer, except I got hungry, and I had to use the bathroom, badly.

Charlie had gone out to buy some groceries, or so his note said. After a shower and some food, I brought my things down to the front hall and waited for him. I knew he'd be home early. He wouldn't want to risk us being late for Bella's flight.

As I paced around anxiously, I realized Bella was going to have an "escort." She hadn't said anything to Charlie about it, so I assumed he wouldn't be there when we met her. But what about later? Had anyone called Seth and Leah to clear out of the Cullen house? I guess the bloodsucker didn't really need to stay there. It's not like he'd have to sleep or use the bathroom. Whatever, it wasn't my problem.

Charlie got home, and we set out for Sea-Tac. We got there in pretty good time, mostly because Charlie just gritted his teeth instead of complaining about my speeding. I just figured, I was driving with a cop in my car. If I ever wanted to test out what my Rabbit could do, this was pretty much the best opportunity I would get. Who the hell was going to give me a ticket once they found out who Charlie was?

At the airport, Charlie was like a kid in a candy store, standing as close to the gate as possible, clutching his little bouquet of flowers that had already started wilting. I stood as far back as possible, leaning against a pillar.

I was staring at the clock on the opposite wall, counting down the minutes until her plane's arrival. With every minute that passed, I felt my heart lurch, and it became increasingly more difficult to breathe. Why had I agreed to come with him? I should have just offered to loan him my car.

I smelled her before I saw her. It was weird. I was standing pretty far back, and the airport was filled with all sorts of strong scents, but the strawberries that filled my olfactory senses overwhelmed everything else.

When she appeared, I saw it in slow motion. It was just like some cheesy chick flick.

She stepped out of the gate and paused, just long enough for a bit of air to catch behind her, sending her hair into her face. She reached over and swept some of it behind her ear while blowing away a few strands with her mouth. She caught sight of Charlie, and her face lit up in this huge smile. She ran to him and threw herself in his arms, burying her face in the crook of his neck. Charlie's arms hesitantly wound around his daughter, until finally, they were holding her.

Tears ran down her cheeks, and I heard her murmur, "Dad, I missed you so much." She sniffled and looked up, as her hold on Charlie loosened. That's when her eyes set on me.

All movement stopped, for both of us. I didn't notice at first, but realized seconds later, that I was holding my breath. She had dropped her bags and let her hair get all disarrayed, sticking to the tears on her face. We stood, staring at each other for a moment, then she moved. I felt my heart swell up with hope, but my brain tried to quell it, warning me that this was just another ruse. Her face broke out into a smile, like seeing me made her happier than anything else. I tried the best that I could to bury the warmth of anticipation that I knew would send me crashing into despair. I was almost successful too, until she started running to me.

She reached me before I could react, and jumped up on me, her arms wrapping around my neck. Just like her father, my arms hesitantly wound around her body, until I was holding her up. She was crying into my shirt.

"Jake, I'm so sorry. I missed you so much, Jake."

I couldn't say anything, not here, not now. Really, not ever. What was I supposed to say, anyway? I could lie, but that wouldn't do any good. Or I could tell her the truth but, _Why the fuck do you keep coming back and acting like you love me, when you know you're going to leave me again?_ just didn't seem appropriate.

I wanted to tell her I didn't want her. I couldn't, because it wasn't true, and it would hurt her. I wanted to say that she was cruel, and she was destroying what was left of me. I couldn't, because it _was_ true, and it would hurt her.

"I thought someone was coming with you," I whispered, as Charlie walked towards us, holding Bella's bags.

"He's coming out last, but he won't be joining us right now. He didn't want anyone to know he was in town. It would be too much to explain."

Just then, I noticed the smell. I motioned to Charlie, letting him know we were leaving. Not that I cared much about his "cover" but there was no reason to breathe polluted air.

"Okay, are you about ready to get going, Bells?" Charlie asked, taking my hint. He was juggling with her luggage awkwardly.

"Here, Charlie, let me get those," I said, as I reached for the bags.

"Oh, I'm not that old yet, Jake. I can handle a couple of bags."

"Come on, you go on ahead with Bella, while I get the bags, okay?"

"Well, if you don't mind. . . ."

"I insist." Quite frankly, if I had to watch him stumble along at a snail's pace, fumbling with those bags any longer, I was going to scream. Was there _anything_ Bella got from her mother?

We ended up grabbing something to eat in Seattle before heading back to Forks, so by the time we got home it was already ten-thirty. I brought Bella's bags into the house, then grabbed mine, which were waiting inside the front hall, and turned to make my exit.

"Jake, what are you doing?" she asked.

"Going home."

She looked at me with the same pitiful expression she had when she came to visit, after the newborn fight, while I was laid up, hurt, and she was dumping me ― sort of. I guess you couldn't technically get dumped if you were never really together.

"See ya, and Happy New Year." I opened the door and began descending the porch steps.

"Jake!" Bella called from the doorway, as she made her way to me, grabbing my arm.

"Stay. Please, for me."

I didn't turn. I couldn't look at her, not if I wanted to actually say what I needed to say.

"I can't."

"Why?"

"Because you've already killed everything in me that was worth living for. If I stay and love you again, just to see you leave, I won't ever be able to get up again."

I felt her fingers loosen their grip and slip from my arm. I paused, second-guessing myself before making my way to the car. I threw my bags in, got in, and drove off, not looking back at her. She never once left that front porch, nor did she turn away from me. I knew, because I heard nothing, and Bella could never move silently.

I had made it home in record time. All I wanted to do now was go to sleep and have some peace and quiet. Now that Sam was . . . weakened and staying with Leah, La Push wasn't a no cross zone for me, especially since I was stuck with being Alpha of the whole damn lot of them.

I burst into the house, walked to my room and whipped the door open. I should have paid more attention to the noise before entering.

"Fuck! I'm going to go blind!" I immediately turned my back to my own room, frustrated.

"Jake, you stupid brat! Have you ever heard of knocking?" Rachel screamed at me.

"It's _my_ god damn room!"

"Well you moved out so now it's mine!"

"Rachel, it's okay, let me…"

"Shut up, Paul!" Rachel and I yelled in unison.

"Jacob, is that you? What's going on?" I heard my dad ask from the other room.

"It's okay, Billy. He just caught us by surprise," Paul answered. Since when the hell had _he_ become the voice of calm and reason?

"Get the hell out of here, Rach!"

"I'm claiming squatter's rights. You want me out, you'll have to throw me out, literally."

"Yeah? Well, I've got no problem with that." I stepped into the room, just as Paul jumped out of bed, naked, and stopped me.

"Jake, come on. Look, we'll get out of your hair in the morning, okay?"

"Fuck off, Paul. This is between Rachel and me."

"Jake, please. You know I can't let you hurt her. Dude, come on, she's your _sister_, remember?"

I saw Rachel stick her tongue out at me from behind Paul. I pushed Paul aside and grabbed her, lifting her out of the bed as she clutched the sheets to her body. In seconds, Paul was prying my hands off her.

"Jake, fucking get your hands off me!"

"I'm throwing you out, just like you asked!"

"Jake, you're going to hurt her, let go! I don't want to hurt you!"

"Jacob! Put your sister down, now!" I took one deep breath before doing as my father asked.

"You have thirty minutes to get your shit out of my room."

"Or else what?"

"Or else I order your damn boyfriend to run to California and jump off the Golden Gate Bridge."

Finally, that shut her up. I turned to leave, but ended up almost bumping into my dad as he looked up at me sternly. Man, why wasn't I paying attention to anything tonight?

"Jacob…" he started, just as the phone rang.

I didn't move. I just crossed my arms in front of me, silent. Dad wheeled over to the phone while I left the house. I stood in the backyard throwing rocks into the forest beyond. I could hear the telephone conversation as clear as day, even from here.

"_Billy? I need to talk to Jake._" Of course it was her. It was always her.

"He's really not in any mood to‒"

"_This is really important, Billy. I tried to talk to him earlier but he‒_"

"Look, Bella, you don't understand what it's been like for him, and the whole pack. We've had a real hard time lately."

"_I'm sorry, but this can't wait. It's a matter of life and death_." It was _always_ a matter of life and death when she was involved.

"You're going to have to talk to one of the other guys for now, and get them to tell him. He's not going to come to the phone. Paul's right here if you want to talk to him."

"_No, I'll call someone else._" Of course she wouldn't talk to Paul. She'd probably call the damn kid.

"Suit yourself."

She hung up without saying goodbye.

I paced around on the grass, kicking up turf, throwing more rocks and basically demolishing our property. I was thinking of running but that would mean sharing my thoughts with whoever was on patrol. No thanks.

After some more sulking, I headed for the garage. It was my last sanctuary. Correction, it _had once been _my last sanctuary.

Paul had taken it upon himself to carve out a little corner to turn into his own personal tool shed. I grabbed what looked like a circular saw and was about to toss it out the door, when I realized Embry's face was in my way.

"What the fuck are _you_ doing here? Shit, will I ever be left alone?"

"Sorry, man, but I got a call on the wolf phone." I didn't even snicker at his joke. It wasn't funny. "Okay, be that way. Moody leech wants to meet to give us the low down. We're about to have some creepy vamp visitors again."

"Why, this time?" If she had just stayed away maybe they would have too. If she had never returned, maybe this feeling would have never returned. Who was I kidding? It had never gone away.

"I don't know all the details. Like I said, moody leech wants to meet."

"Did he say when?"

"Well, according to Seth, Bella told him that the bloodsucker would like to meet at one, up at that place where we had the newborn fight. Bella will be there, too." Great. Fantastic. My life was now complete.

"Fine. Let everyone know. We're going together."

"By the way, Jake?"

"Yeah?"

"You might want to leave Paul's tools alone. He's been helping, fixing up a lot of stuff around your house."

I didn't answer. I just grumbled under my breath. Everything was going to shit. Leah wasn't bitter anymore, Paul was being nice and helpful and Seth was in love with the damn Cullens. I hated being a wolf.

* * *

><p>Bella and her stinking bodyguard were already in the field by the time we arrived. We all came in human. There were nine of us and one of him. Coming in wolf would just make it seem like we were scared. Fucking hillbilly didn't scare me. I didn't care if he was a god damn general in his previous life; he had no army to lead tonight.<p>

"Thank you, Jacob for meeting with us," he said in his girly, sing-song voice.

"Whatever." I was in no mood for polite salutations. What was the point in pretending? "So what the hell is so important that you had to come all the way here, and bring _her_ along with you?" I nodded towards Bella, but didn't let my eyes focus on her. It didn't matter. I still saw her cringe and get that sad, pained look on her face. It nearly made me run to her, hold her and take it all back. I really _was_ a pussy. I didn't deserve to be Alpha.

Of course, it didn't help that the dumb kid noticed it too. He ran up to her and gave her a hug. I was ready to pound him for touching her. That was supposed to be _me_ holding her.

"Hey, Bella. It's really good to see you again. I really missed you," Seth said, as his arms wrapped around her small, warm body.

"I missed you too, Seth," she replied. She looked in my direction; I pretended not to notice. "I missed _all_ of you." She glanced around and looked perplexed. "Where's Sam?"

"Can we just get on with this?" I interjected, before Seth could answer her question. "Some of us actually have to sleep," I blurted out impatiently.

"Yes, of course," answered ice-cold Stonewall Jackson. "As you may or may not know, the Volturi, our governing body, had decreed that Bella must either die, or become one of us back in the spring, when she was in Italy." I heard some of the pack murmur, but I tried to remain unmoved, my arms crossed in front of me. I remembered her telling me about these Italian dudes.

I motioned with my hands for him to get on with it. For a parasite, he was pretty slow. At least he couldn't read my damn mind.

"Well, they have made contact with us, and Alice has had a vision. The Volturi will be visiting us, and as you can see, Bella is neither dead, nor a vampire. We need a place to keep her safe, hidden away from this danger and ask if you would take on that task."

I paced around, running my fingers through my hair, exasperated. It would appear to be my life's mission to keep his fucking "brother's" wife alive so she could keep on cutting me to shreds.

"And exactly what will all of _you_ be doing while we 'keep her hidden away'?" I asked. "Somehow, I'm doubting these vultures, or whatever, are going to just take your word for it and go home."

"My family, along with the Denalis, will be fighting them."

"I was told they were impossible to beat," I added, recalling Bella's inflated bias towards leeches, including the Italian ones.

"They are not bringing their entire guard, but enough that if we beat them, they will be severely crippled. Also, Alice sees that the entourage they bring will split up into two groups, making it possible for us to win."

Breaking up? If they were breaking up, that meant one group would be. . . . Fuck!

"They're coming here." It wasn't a question, but of course the bloodsucker answered. They just loved the sound of their own voices.

"Alice couldn't see that because you are a blind spot, but since they disappeared, yes, that is what we feel is going to happen."

"Then why bring her here? Wouldn't it be safer if you took her somewhere else?"

"Our family wants her to be protected. No matter where the two of us go, we will be tracked. This is the one place that will provide protection for her, without compromising our chances of victory at home, too much."

"So basically, you're luring those fucking vamps to our land and putting us in a position where we have to actually _help_ you?" This was too fucking much! It was bad enough when the damn leeches came here on their own, but now those stinking Cullens were _luring_ them here, to separate them and forcing _us_ to fight _their_ battles. "We're sick of fighting your battles. This is _your_ problem, _you_ deal with it!"

"We know the hardships we have brought to your people with just our mere presence, not to mention the dangers we keep attracting to this area. We are prepared to compensate you for your troubles."

"You think we're a bunch of mercenaries for hire?" I spat out, rage boiling up inside me. "Our lives are worth more than money, asshole!" I heard a lot of growling and grumbling behind me. Apparently, I wasn't the only one pissed at their "offer."

"We offer more than money. If we are able to weaken the Volturi enough, our family plans to go to Volterra and usurp them. We plan to take control and become the new governing body. That will be more valuable to you than anything else."

"Oh yeah? I don't see how it would make any difference to us who the fuck your damn ruler is. . . ."

"We value human life, and while we don't intend on destroying our own kind who remain human feeders, we do plan to encourage others to adopt our way of life, and help those who don't, target humans less . . . shall we say . . . worthy of the life they have been given?"

"So now we're supposed to help you become god, so you can decide who lives and who ends up as dinner?"

He just shrugged his shoulders. He really didn't give a fuck about anyone. I wondered if he even remembered what it was like to be human.

"If a human life must be taken, would it not be better if it were an unredeemable sociopath, or someone about to die of a terminal illness, than an innocent life with a future?"

I wasn't sure why I was even wasting my time arguing with him. It's not like I'd turn her away, no matter what she had done to me, and what she was going to keep on doing to me. It wouldn't matter what the fucking bloodsuckers' intentions were. The only thing that mattered was that I needed her, and everyone here knew that. The thought made me sick. I just threw up my arms, frustrated and resigned to my fate and walked away.

Everyone stood, watching me, not knowing what to do. The leech was about to come after me, but I guess Leah stopped him because I could hear her talking.

"Let him go. We'll do it, but not for you, or your damn coven. And we _do_ want compensation, but not what you're talking about."

"Tell us what it is, and we will do everything in our power to provide it."

"First, we need to know everything you know. I don't care if you think it's irrelevant, or compromises your coven. Second, if all of you become the new rulers of the undead, no more vamps within a five hundred mile radius of us, ever. Third, you keep this mutant baby making ability to yourselves and never attempt to do it again. Lastly, the girl, in no way, goes back to your coven." Man, Leah knew how to negotiate. I didn't like forcing Bella to stay against her will, but if Leah was willing to throw that in, I wasn't going to argue.

"I cannot make the last promise. That is not my decision."

"Well, then it looks like there's no deal. Go home, now!"

I turned around, making my way back to the group. I didn't want to lose this. I knew if that ass hat hadn't come back last year, we could have made everything work; I would have made her happy. If she had to stay here, with us, human, I might be able to do that still. I couldn't let Leah throw it all away.

"No! Leah, you don't speak for us!" I ran to them, but Quil and Embry stopped me.

Leah turned and gave me a stern warning look. She looked like her mother just then. It actually made me pause and shut the hell up.

"Yes I do, Jake. You're biased, and I'm not sure you can make the best decision for _all_ of us. If we're talking bloodlines for leadership, I'm next up, unless you'd like Seth to take over." Man, how many times had Sam gotten his ass handed to him on a platter when those two dated?

I didn't bother answering her. She was doing a better job than me, anyway. I'd wait to see what happened. I could always say something later.

"We'll do it." It wasn't the leech who answered, it was Bella.

"Bella . . ." he said to her, putting his cold, hard hand on her arm. It took all my self control not to rip it off, right then and there.

"Jasper, this is my decision more than anyone else's. If this is what I have to do to give all of you a chance at surviving, then that's what I'll do."

I couldn't be silent anymore. Her and her damn martyr act. It was time for someone to call her on it.

"Don't act like you're the damn hero, Bells. _You're_ the one who brought this on us, as usual." I saw her flinch again, but I gritted my teeth and held back all soft thoughts of her. "Do you love him so much more than me, that you're willing to sacrifice _all_ our lives, just to make sure _he_ survives? I thought it was low when you took him out of the fight last summer, but _this_ . . . you've reached a new level of selfishness!" I saw the tears well up in her eyes, but I was intent. If she was going to send me, and the rest of the pack, to our deaths, I wasn't going down without hitting her on some level.

"Am I such a monster that you would think _that_ of me?" she yelled through her tears. "You think _that's_ why I came here? Why do you think Jasper is the one who came with me?"

"Because, as usual, your fucking know-it-all telepath is being as selfish as you! He cares more about you being 'safe' than his whole damn coven being obliterated!"

"I left before Edward was back! I asked Jasper to come with me!" she shouted, "Not only do you NOT 'know it all,' you know nothing!"

"What the hell is _that_ supposed to mean?" I yelled back.

"Alice saw the Volturi kill the Cullens, but not before Aro reads everyone's thoughts, finding out about all of you. Do you want to know what she saw them do after that?" I didn't answer, stubbornly keeping the walls around me upright and intact. "They keep me alive, take me with them, and then disappear! They disappear because their next stop is going to be here, with me as a lure! I came here to _save_ _you_!"

"I don't get it," Paul interjected, "How does this change anything?"

"The Volturi will find out Bella and I have left, and come after us," Jasper answered. "Alice does not see what the outcome will be if we do this, since everything that happens here is a blind spot for her. The Volturi will know that, too, and send their expedition party, keeping half in our home to ensure the rest of us don't come here to stop them. Splitting the Volturi up is our only chance of beating them, saving both our families. I was asked by Bella to assist and fight with you. Afterwards, if we are successful, I will be returning to my family. Hopefully, the group there will not find out what happened here until I have returned home."

Bella was right. If the whole lot of them had come here, with her, I'd risk it all. We all knew that. She knew it, too.

"You don't have to agree to that last part," I said to Bella. "You can go back to your _husband_, after all this is done, if you're alive."

"Things aren't the same with me and Edward anymore, Jake," she replied quietly.

_Don't go there, Jake. It's a trick. You know who she's going to end up with. Just wipe the thought out of your head._

"I don't want to hear it," I said to her, turning away.

I returned my attention to the leech, trying to get my mind away from dangerous places. I thought I'd never see the day when talking to a bloodsucker would be safer than looking at Bella. . . .

"So, who's coming and when?"

"There will be eight in the Olympic Peninsula, half of the entire party arriving in America. The rest are staying to protect their interests in Italy," the parasite answered. "Of the ones coming to your area, three have special abilities. There is Marcus, one of the leaders. He can see relationships and will figure out your ties, leaders and weak spots, immediately."

"There are no weak spots in our bonds," Jared interjected. It was followed by grunts of agreement.

"I'm just giving information, not passing judgment." We all sneered at him, but let him continue. "Demetri, he's their tracker. He uses his prey's mind to pursue and is the best tracker known of our kind. The last is the most powerful in the anticipated group, Jane. She can create the illusion of the most excruciating pain upon her target, immobilizing him." There was a hushed rumble at the last one, which was silenced by Seth's question.

"It sounds like Jane can only target one person at a time, is that right, Jasper?" Did he really have to use all their names? Just once, I'd like to hear him call one of them leech, or bloodsucker.

"Yes, Seth, that is correct."

"What are the rest like, without the special abilities?" Embry asked.

"They are strong, trained and experienced fighters, some of the best of our kind."

"But that's it, no hocus pocus shit?" Jared inquired.

"As far as we know, no."

"And when?" Paul demanded.

"They will arrive at our home out east on Thursday, the expedition party will be organized and sent out late on Friday. They will begin their search for Bella in this area close to sunset on Saturday."

"Well, how nice of them to wait until the weekend," I added sarcastically. "I take it you have some plan in mind?" I queried.

"Yes. I propose we use a few days to prepare ourselves for battle, as we did before the newborn fight, and then go over possible sites to wait for the Volturi's arrival." He paused, looked over at Bella who nodded in his direction, before continuing. "And we have to decide on who will remain with Bella, and where she will be." Next he looked directly into my eyes. "We must keep in mind that the best fighters need to remain with the group to defeat the Volturi."

That meant she'd be away from me during this fight, just like during the newborn battle, but this time she'd be with part of the pack, not her leech. I didn't need to look around the group to know who I was going to assign for guard duty, but my eyes still strayed as they glanced at Collin and Brady before resting on Seth. He wasn't as young as them, and he'd already proven he could fight. He was good enough that he could protect Bella if a stray leech got to her, but young enough that the rest of us wanted him out of the main event. He saw me looking at him.

"No way! Not again! Forget it!" Seth yelled. "I've already proven I can fight just as well as the rest of you! I am _not_ going to be the damn cell phone again!"

"Don't think of it as a cell phone, think of it as the general of your own little army," I answered, smiling.

Seth looked over at Collin and Brady who both shrugged. He wasn't happy and was about to say something when Leah shot him a look. That shut him up pretty quickly. I'd have to remember that the next time I needed the kid to shut his trap. Looked like she really wasn't all that bad to have around after all. . . .

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><p><em>Thanks for reading, and I appreciate reviews!<em>


	13. Revelations

_I know many of you have been waiting for the "fight" and it's here, mostly, but first we have some other matters to get to. Just so you know, this is not all there is as far as what's been going on in Bella's head is concerned. There is more to come in future chapters. Please keep in mind, this is Jacob's POV. All we know about Bella, what's happened in the last two months, and whatever else is going on is what Jacob sees and hears._

_As always, much gratitude to my beta, **ShadowPast620** who, among many other things, thought up this title with absolutely no help from me (unless whining counts as help)._

_Oh, and for those who have read my other multi-chap, you'll probably notice a line where I poke a little fun at my own story. See? I **do** have a sense of humor, and I'm **not** all doom and gloom. . . ._

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><p><strong>Chapter 13 - Revelations<strong>

Our plans were set. All we had left to do was wait and suffer through Mr. Touchy-Feely's practice sessions. I guess if someone asked, I'd grudgingly admit he wasn't that bad, for a leech.

We had had two practice sessions on Tuesday, to work around the patrol schedules, but most of us made it to both. They turned out to be pretty cool and helpful. Jasper wasn't one to pull punches, so all of us were active participants. It was a real work out. We did some hard ass sparring with him, to test how we would fare one on one with an experienced fighter. It turned out we were pretty good.

By the end of the second training session, a lot of us could hold our own against Jasper. The three kids got knocked around quite a bit, but the rest of us held on strong, including Leah. That surprised us. She wasn't as physically powerful, but she was fast and could evade most of his moves, making it hard for him to get a hit.

On Wednesday, we were at the scrap yard, the site chosen for the confrontation. I knew the guy that owned it, and he was on vacation, out of state. It was where I used to go to find spare parts. It was also where many others went to get their oil changed by Gus, the owner, on the cheap. The place was remote and a mess. He was always behind in getting the used motor oil to the recycling depot, so a few steel barrels were around his storage shed. It wasn't exactly ideal, but the shed provided a shelter for Bella.

Jasper, Bella and I had argued about this, but in the end, we all agreed ― some of us grudgingly ― that she had to be there. Their tracker was something, and nothing would stop him. Jasper thought it was possible Bella would be immune to his special abilities, but that didn't make her invisible. Her scent alone was enough for any vamp to find her. Besides, to be immune to this guy's abilities, she'd have to take off alone and that was _definitely not_ happening. We decided to keep her close so there was no risk she'd get ambushed like she had by Victoria and Riley last spring.

Bella and I were up on the ridge, scoping out her hiding place. This was where she'd be tucked away with Collin, Brady and Seth, her personal bodyguards, right outside. It was damned close to the action, but that also meant I could get to her in no time, if it came to that.

"So this is the spot I was telling you about." It was the first time I'd said anything to her since I had left Charlie's house the night she arrived.

"Why all the way up here?" she asked, as she crinkled her nose.

She looked down the steep drop off, into the canyon of mangled cars below. Before this place was a scrap yard, someone had tried to mine it for something or other, but gave up before the initial dig was completed. Now, there was a shallow, canyon-like formation where all the scrap and discarded cars now sat. It was a poor attempt at mining, given the small circumference of the excavation site, but it made for a pretty good arena. Above all this, along the perimeter, was the shed.

"You realize you don't have to climb up here on your own?" I said, smiling at her disdain for physical exertion. "One of us can take you up beforehand." She opened her mouth, as though to deny it, but then just sighed.

"Okay. Tell me why it's a good place."

"Well, it's pretty high up compared to where the main event will be, so your scent is less likely to get down there. More likely, it'll blow past, above us. This is also where Gus keeps all his drums of used motor oil, waiting to be taken to the recycling plant. His storage shed, just beside all the drums, is where he keeps containers of gasoline too. As you can see, he's not exactly a tidy guy so there are spills and drips all over the place. It reeks of gasoline and motor oil. You know, all the better to hide your scent with, my dear." I wagged my eyebrows up and down, smiling. It made her giggle and roll her eyes playfully. "It also conceals us down below, in case someone's out in the distance, bird watching or something." That made her chuckle too.

"Okay, you've convinced me. At least the shed will keep out the wind and rain."

"Good," I replied. We stood around, not speaking for a few seconds, as an uncomfortable silence descended upon us. I turned to walk away when I heard her calling my name.

"Jake?" she asked.

"Yup?" I asked in response.

"Charlie says you quit school."

I shrugged. "Yeah, so?"

"Well, what . . . I mean . . . I . . . I'm sorry."

"Shit, can you just stop apologizing and spit out whatever it is you want to say?"

She looked away briefly, biting her lower lip. She always did that when she was anxious or about to cry. I heard her take a deep breath, before she made eye contact with me again.

"I'm sorry I brought all this into your life," she began, waving her arms at the site around us. "You were right all along, Jake. I wasn't ready to decide."

Why was she bringing this up? What did she mean by this? I wanted to ask, but I was afraid. Every time I went down that road, I'd been sent back, with less than I had started out with.

"You're right, you _weren't_ ready, but you are now, right? Is that what you're trying to say?" I asked bitterly.

"You know, Jake, all this could have been avoided if I were changed. . . ."

I resisted the urge to cringe. "What? Your bloodsucker couldn't do it? He told me in the tent that night that he liked you better smelling like dinner." Her face crumpled from the sting of my harsh words.

"Why won't you let me say what you _know_ I want to say?" she asked, not deterred.

"Because I don't believe you anymore, Bells. We both know it's _always_ been him, and it always will be." The hurt and pain brought out my anger as I spat out, "Don't worry, he'll come around. Eventually, he'll cave and change you because he can _never_ say no to you. I know, because I'm the same way."

She opened her mouth to say more, but I didn't give her the chance. I walked away quickly, leaving her alone with her unvoiced words. I heard her stumbling after me, calling my name. I moved quickly, ignoring her. It took every last bit of will power I had left not to turn around and run to her.

I got down to the scrap yard, where everyone else was, knowing they had heard our conversation. Everyone went about looking busy, avoiding me at all costs. Jasper didn't bother with the facade.

"Jacob, I would like to take over your night patrols," he said. It wasn't phrased like a question.

"Come again? You're telling me that _you're_ going to patrol _our_ lands and kill your own kind? And we're supposed to just _trust_ you?" I questioned, incredulous at the suggestion.

"I've noticed that those who have patrolled the night before are a little slower and fatigued. I don't require sleep, and since none of you are able to train at night, I am without any responsibilities during that time."

"Don't worry about us getting enough beauty sleep, bloodsucker, we've had it worse."

"I'm not concerned for you." Admittedly, he wasn't as bad as his telepathic brother, but his social skills had some room for improvement. "However, I need all of you in top, fighting form just as much as your people do. I have no intentions of breaking your trust by allowing some random nomad to feed on your lands. My family and I need this battle to be won." The leech _did_ have a point. I knew he didn't give a rat's ass about us, but he _needed_ us. Some "random nomad" on the other hand, was nothing to him. It _would_ make a difference if all of us had regular sleep. We had a pretence to keep up and couldn't exactly sleep all day long.

"How do you guys feel about this?" I asked, knowing the pack had heard all of it. At first, no one answered. I could tell, like me, that they were torn between need and mistrust.

"I think it'll be helpful, Jake." Fuck, that kid, again! Hearing him agree with Mr. Mood Ring made me want to change my mind.

"Yeah, I don't like it, but it's just for a few days," Leah agreed. "I don't think he's going to let anyone through." She jerked her head in Jasper's direction. "We all know, if we fuck up here, the Cullens are screwed."

"And if he fucks up on patrol, we're all going to find him and rip him to shreds," Paul added. There were a few nods and grumbles of agreement.

I looked over at Jasper, who didn't even flinch at Paul's comment.

"Okay, fine. You take over patrol at midnight, and we'll pick up again at sunrise," I said with resignation.

"I can start at sunset, that way it will be easier for you to maintain your human lives during the day."

"Whatever, it's _your_ time." It actually would be a nice break for all of us. He'd be taking twelve hours, half of all the patrols. I never thought the day would come when I'd feel like thanking _this_ guy.

At the end of our session, as I headed toward our cars, Jasper stopped me again, grabbing my arm. No matter how much I appreciated his help, I still cringed at the feel of those cold, hard fingers on my skin.

"Jacob, may I have a word with you?"

"Sure, sure," I replied, being as nonchalant as possible.

"I don't want to pry, but will Sam be fit enough to join your group soon? I've noticed he hasn't been at the practice sessions." Before, I hadn't said anything because I didn't want to reveal any pack vulnerabilities, but things were different now.

I hesitated, as Bella made her way towards us. She noticed the discomfort on my face, and asked, "Jake, is something the matter?" I didn't answer. She looked over at Jasper. "Jasper, is something wrong?"

"We were just talking about strategy, Bella," he replied.

Was it possible she didn't know? Carlisle knew for sure, which meant Edward would know. Would Edward have kept this from her? Why would he bother? How could he possibly think she _wouldn't_ find out once she got here? I had never thought there would be a chance she wouldn't be aware of what had happened to Emily.

"He was asking me about Sam," I said, contradicting Jasper's answer. "Do you know anything about what happened last month?" I asked, testing the waters.

The leech tensed up, his mouth tightening into a thin, straight line, just like his brother's. They hadn't told her.

"Billy said the pack has been having a tough time lately. . . ." Her voice trailed off as she turned to Jasper again, eyeing him suspiciously. She looked over at me and asked, "Did something happen to Sam?"

"Emily's dead, Bells, and Sam's not himself. He's not Alpha anymore. I am."

I saw tears well up in Bella's eyes. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words escaped. Her eyes implored me for information, as she shook her head in disbelief.

"She was killed by a vamp that came to the area," I continued. "We ripped off one of its arms, but it got away." Her eyes went wide with alarm when I said this. "Then, the bloodsucker came back and killed Emily. We don't know why it targeted her. Maybe the leech figured out Sam was the leader and Emily was his imprint. You know, like the redheaded one . . . a mate for a mate? Seth said he thought it was one of their friends from Alaska." I nodded towards Jasper.

Bella's cheeks turned red with rage. "Jasper, you knew this already, didn't you?" He nodded without meeting her eyes. "Edward . . . he must have known, too. . . . He never said anything!" She shouted.

"He didn't say _anything_?" I asked, astonished. "Not even when you decided to come here?" Man, he really _was_ boneheaded.

"Alice had her vision while he was on a hunting trip. I made the decision to leave, with Jasper, before he came back. I didn't want him to stop me."

Well, I guess he was in the doghouse now.

"She spoke to me," Bella whispered. She was looking out into the distance, as though she were voicing thoughts to herself, not actually addressing anyone. "I wondered what had happened to her arm." The volume of her voice increased, as her tone went from disbelief to anger and betrayal. "Edward . . . he never told me! Did he think I'd never put two and two together?"

"That leech was at your _house_?" I demanded, poking Jasper in the chest. Damn, it was fucking hard as a rock. How had anyone believed they were human?

"Jacob, we need their help, and Irina was overwhelmed with grief. Our kind . . . we are often taken over by a need for vengeance."

I was going to shout out some colorful expletives, but Bella started yelling before I got a chance.

"She knew Laurent for _six months_! And he had tried to _kill_ me! Plus, from the comments I've overheard from her sisters, it didn't sound like he was more than one notch above a fuck buddy!" Had Bella actually used the "f" word? "Emily was Sam's _imprint_, Jasper, his _soul mate_! You're making excuses for someone who killed the equivalent of what Alice is to you!"

Well, that shut him up. He turned his face away and actually looked ashamed.

"Is that how Edward feels, Jasper?" Bella prodded, not letting this go. "Does he think of Emily's death as just collateral damage for a vampire's _propensity for vengeance_? I thought he _valued_ human life!" She was shouting with so much ferocity that she spat with ever other word.

"He didn't want to upset you, Bella. You had so much on your shoulders already." Now the ass sounded just like _him_.

"Don't you go off making excuses for him, Jasper. Emily was always so kind and accepting of me. I didn't even get to go to her funeral!" Tears were streaming down Bella's face, but she didn't bother to wipe them away.

That's when I started to think. It sounded like Bella had spent some time with these "sisters" but hadn't we only spoken to the doctor two days before she left? Was it possible to get from Alaska to New Hampshire in a day, have Edward figure it all out, and then would he leave on a hunting trip?

"Bells?" I said quietly. She turned to look at me. "When did they all come over to the Cullen place?"

"Jacob, this is of no consequence and does nothing to help our current predicament," the leech interjected.

Bella ignored him and answered, "They arrived on Christmas Eve."

That was it. My patience was worn so thin, it was transparent. I shoved the leech with all my strength. It only made him take one step back. I screamed out in frustration as I grabbed my hair in my fists, turned away from him, and willed myself not to phase so close to Bella. That's when I felt her small hands rest on my arm.

"Jake? What's going on?"

"We called the doc on the thirtieth, telling him about Emily and asking about the Alaskans. He acted like he didn't know, and said he'd call us back after _calling them_ to find out what's going on!" I gently removed Bella's hand from my arm and took a step towards the bloodsucker. I noticed that the rest of the pack had now made their way here, creating a circle around us. "So, tell me, leech, what the _fuck_ is going on!" I screamed.

I had to give him credit, he didn't use his hocus pocus crap, although I _did_ notice him pull Bella away from me.

"We were contemplating what to do when Carlisle received Seth's call, at work. It all happened at a most confusing time for us. Carlisle was on his way home because, just moments before, Alice had her vision of the Volturi's plans. He only answered because he saw on the display that the call was from our home in Forks. We never meant to keep secrets. We were merely trying to find the best solution for everyone."

As angry as I was, it would have been idiotic of me to expect that the Cullens would ever watch our backs, not unless there was something in it for them. Certainly, _we'd _never go out of our way for them either, unless we needed them, too. Our alliances were always based on need, not friendship.

"Look, I get that they're your 'friends' or whatever, but from this moment on no more secrets, got it?" He nodded in silence. "And after all this shit is over, if that one armed whore survives, we're coming after her. If any of you stand in our way, you can kiss the treaty goodbye." Again, he nodded. There was no trace of fear on his face. That bothered me. "We're done here, and you've got patrol. If anything happens tonight, if even a fucking raccoon knocks over my garbage can, your ass is gravel in the morning." I stormed off, not waiting for a reply.

The next two days, we practiced with military professionalism, and little conversation. Sam joined us, on the Thursday, determined to be part of the fight.

It was Leah who had convinced me to include him.

"Jake, it'll be fine, I swear," Leah had said to me. "He's still broken up, but he's eating and getting out. He talks to me too, which is helpful I think. Besides, we need the numbers."

"I don't know, Leah. Even though Sam and I can communicate when we're phased, it's not the same as it is with the pack. We have to think about it, like talking. We don't see the thoughts that come and go quickly when we react to our instincts."

"It'll be a lot of one on one anyway, and he's the strongest one out of all of us, except maybe you," she quipped, trying to convince me. Leah sighed loudly when I didn't give an answer. "Look, I'll have his back and keep an eye on him. I'm already used to doing that with Seth, and I won't have him around to watch."

Under different circumstances I would have laughed at this suggestion. The mere thought of Sam's giant, black wolf being protected by Leah was physically ludicrous. Physically, but not emotionally. I had noticed that Sam seemed more . . . normal when Leah was with him. He was certainly strong, and pissed enough about Emily's death, that he'd probably be eager to kill a leech. I knew if I were in his place I'd be chomping at the bit to kill just about anything.

"Fine! I know you're not going to stop nagging until you get your way anyhow," I said, conceding. Actually, it wasn't much of a concession. We needed Sam, and if Leah had thought he couldn't do this, she would never have suggested it.

Sam did well that day in practice, for the most part. He kept a level head, but he wasn't the same. He had lost that edge that used to scare us all. He was sad when he wasn't sparring, something we could see even in his wolf form, even without his thoughts.

Bella was there, watching us every day. I saw her chatting with Seth quite often. I had even seen her and Leah talk in short bursts. A couple of times she tried to talk to me, but I ignored her, pretending not to hear her call me, which I knew was stupid. On Friday, our last day of "practice" and possibly our lives, she cornered me.

She approached me as I was speaking with a small group and interrupted, asking, "Can we go somewhere . . . private? Just to talk?" she asked.

"I don't know, Bells. I'm in charge now and…"

"Don't worry, Chief!" I felt a hard slap on my shoulder. "I've got a handle on the kids," Leah said, as she gave me a firm push away from the pack. I glared back at her, but that just made her smile. I looked over at Bella who was awaiting my reply with hope in her eyes. It was more than I had in me to fight.

"Fine, but I'm coming back in an hour, got it?" I told Leah.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," she replied, waving me away.

I was watching Leah walk away when I felt Bella's cool fingers grab my hand. I flinched at first, surprised. She let go, hesitant, but reached out again, slowly. I met her eyes, not moving, not breathing. She grabbed my hand, locking her fingers in mine and led me away from the junkyard.

We rode away on my bike, with her behind me, holding on. It made me forget that I was pissed off at her. It made me forget how hopeless my love for her was. All I could feel, see and believe during that ride was how perfect we were together. Her body fit right behind me, melding into my back as her arms reached around and gripped my t-shirt. Her head, resting just between my shoulder blades, turned so her cheek was against me. Her thighs hugged my hips, pressing and relaxing with the bumps and curves of the road.

This was what I dreamed about, feeling her heart beat against me, her warm breath blowing on my body and her cool fingers touching my skin. Right at that moment, I was living my dream.

Once we got to my chosen destination, I got up, flipped down the kickstand and lifted her off the bike.

"This is where you taught me how to ride a motorcycle," she commented, looking around and smiling.

"You remember?"

"How could I forget?" She replied, rolling her eyes. "I went from here to the emergency room about three times over the span of one week, didn't I?"

"Probably something like that." It was actually twice. She hadn't let me take her that first time. That first time was when she had told me I was 'beautiful'. Well, just 'sort of', but still. . . .

She took my hand again and started walking.

"Jake, do you remember that day when I went to visit you, after you got hurt?"

"How could I forget?" I answered, mimicking her words from just moments ago.

"You remember what I said?"

"I remember everything you've ever said to me, Bells."

She stopped, turned towards me, and took my other hand into her free one.

"I told you how much I loved you, that I was _in_ love with you." I nodded, afraid if I said something out loud I'd either cry or scream, maybe both. "You know, that's all still true."

"As I recall, it didn't change anything."

"That part might not be true anymore."

I felt it again. It was that bubble of hope, ballooning out of control.

_Keep it together, Jake. Don't go off jumping in the air and clicking your heels. You know she's not done, yet. You know there's going to be some catch. Don't forget, she used the word 'might'._

I took a deep breath, afraid to ask, but also afraid to leave things unsaid.

"Bella, don't do this unless you know what you want. I can't do this again."

"Jake," she whispered, reaching up to touch my face. I took her hand in mine, and lowered it. If she rested it on my cheek, I'd end up crying like a girl. "He was willing to change me this time, when I got back, but I hesitated. I didn't want it the same way as before. Living with you, out in Montana, that month or two, did something. It made me see things I had been blind to."

I had tried to forget those six weeks but was only able to make them a dull, hazy dream. Hearing her mention it now flooded my mind with the memories I had tried so hard to repress. That time had been magical, waking up with her in my arms every morning, hearing her hum as she cooked, sitting out on the porch drinking our coffee. I couldn't imagine a life better than that.

"Bells, if this is going to end with, 'but I can't _live_ without _him'_, I don't want to hear it."

"That's what it's about, except _he's_ not the one I can't live without."

"How would you know? Have you tried? According to you, the last time you lost him, back when he left, you were dead inside. Apparently, what you had for me back then was just a facade, an act to keep Charlie happy."

"Jake, you know that's not true. . . ."

"Do I, Bella?"

"Those six weeks in Montana, with you, and _without_ Edward, were happy for me. Even with the loss and the grief, there was happiness when before, I thought I'd never feel anything again."

"You've been there before, Bells, in this pit of depression, and I've brought you out of it before. It didn't make any difference then, and I doubt it does now!" As usual, she hadn't said anything I hadn't already known. She laid the seed, but wasn't cultivating it.

"What do I have to do, Jake!" she yelled, frustrated. "Are you just going to be bitter for the rest of your life? Can't you just accept that maybe I love you!"

"I accept it. Problem is, I still love you more."

"How do you know? I'm the one laying my heart open, and you're the one acting like a jerk!"

"That's because mine has already been torn to shreds, by you! There's nothing left to lay out!"

She cringed at my words.

"I never meant to hurt you, Jake. I told you . . . and . . . you knew," she whispered.

"If there's nothing new, nothing I haven't heard already, I've got stuff to do right now."

"Argh!" she screamed. Her hands formed into fists, and it looked like she might punch me, but she thought better of it, opting to pace around in a tight circle instead. "What do you think I've been _doing_ the past two months? Why do you think I haven't called, or visited? Why do you think I abandoned my own _father_ on Christmas? I did it for _you_, you stupid jerk!"

"I don't get it."

"Of course you don't! Whatever happened to 'I know you better than you know yourself' or whatever it was you used to say to me?"

"Well, that's before you went off and married a goddamn corpse!"

"Well, I'm sorry I did it! Not because I hurt you, but because it was the wrong thing for me! Do you hear me, Jacob Black? I said, it was the wrong thing for me!"

"Words, Bella, just words."

"It's more than words. I knew the Volturi would come after me. I wanted to stay with you more than anything, but I couldn't because then you and the pack would end up dying for me. That's why I went back with Edward."

"You went back with Edward because that's who you chose, and you seem to think we're a bunch of hacks."

"I went back to Edward because if one of you ended up dying because of this . . . I couldn't let that be you."

"So you expect me to believe that all of a sudden, you've decided he's the wrong guy for you?"

"'All of a sudden'? What's with that? How is this 'all of a sudden?' Things have been obviously screwed up with Edward and me since September! Grrr . . . you are so frustrating to talk to!"

"Fine, I'll shut up until you're done. Enlighten me." I crossed my arms in front of me and leaned back against a tree.

"Do you know that when I first found out I was pregnant, Edward decided we should terminate it, without consulting me? Then, when we got home, he couldn't even spit out the word 'fetus' without cringing. All those times before, when he made decisions for me, for my own good, I always excused it telling myself he was doing it out of love, just protecting me. Then all _this_ happened, and I didn't feel protected. I felt betrayed and abandoned by him."

"You've felt abandoned by him before, and that didn't stop you from risking your life and flying off to Italy, to _save_ him."

"Are you going to let me finish?" I made a gesture with my hands, for her to continue.

"The past two months, Jake, I couldn't stop thinking about _you_. You were understanding. Even though I _knew_ you hated the life I had chosen, hated what the baby did to me, and hated that I wanted to do it again. You didn't lock me away to protect me. You were there, giving me the support I needed, no matter what you may have thought of my decisions, of what I wanted, later. You've _always_ been there to protect me, but you do it without locking me away. For all that Edward keeps saying he doesn't want me to miss out on living a human life, he does everything he can to make sure I can't participate in one. You don't. You cherish every moment, and let me be there, right beside you."

"So this is it? I don't smother you, and now you're willing to give up Edward, the Cullens, being young forever and come shack up with me in a forest?" I spat out. "You know, if he were here right now, he'd promise not to do those things anymore and you'd believe him."

"I already have told him all this, and he didn't offer to change. Do you want to know what he said?" I shrugged like I wasn't interested, even though we both knew I was. "He said that he could never allow anything to endanger me, no matter what I wanted. He said that this was one thing he couldn't promise. I don't want to be a possession, Jake."

That surprised me. The bloodsucker had never said no to her before, not even when she wanted a real honeym-‒ ugh! I just _couldn't_ go there.

Bella sighed, looking out into the distance. She mumbled quietly, "Nineteen years isn't enough. I never thought I'd care about having children, as long as I had Edward and forever. Then, I was given the opportunity to have one, and look how much I fought for it. What else is there that I don't know about, that I would die for?"

Bella took a few steps towards me, taking my hands. "Look, Jake, I know I've been less than . . . nice to you. I know I've hurt you. I just wanted to tell you, things are different for me. You have a lot on your mind right now, I know. I just wanted you to know that I want to try to work things out with you, okay?"

I wanted to believe her words, but there was enough hurt in me that I couldn't trust them.

"Bells, you know what I want more than anything, but I can't just throw up my hands and welcome you back, like nothing happened. How do I know once the danger is gone, that you won't go back to him? Every single time, Bells, you've gone back. It's _always_ been _him_," I wasn't angry anymore. I was saddened by the state of our relationship. So much had transpired between us that I could no longer believe what she told me. When had I lost the ability to trust Bella?

The despair passed from me to her. Her determined fervor was overtaken by regret and sadness. She shook her head, looking down as she spoke quietly. "Why didn't I see before? It was right there in front of me the whole time. You know, Jake, you were right. I don't know my own mind. Did you know that on my honeymoon I decided to 'extend' the date of my change because I wanted to stay human a little longer? I thought a year or two wouldn't make any difference. I told myself it was because I . . . ah . . . wanted to . . . experience more." I raised my eyebrow at her, questioning the hesitation in her voice and the look on her face. "You know, go to college and stuff."

"Uh huh, sure, Bells." She was lying, but I decided to save _that_ question for another day.

"Anyhow, I should have known it was more than that. There had been so many other reasons, more important reasons like you, Renee and Charlie that never made me change course, then this. I mean, really, it was so trivial in comparison, but I clung to it, used it to stay human. I should have known then, that it had to be more than _that_." She was blushing again. Shit. I was pretty sure I knew what it was now, and it wasn't helping matters. _That_ was the last thing I wanted to think about. At least the last thing I wanted to think about if I weren't the other participant.

"Look, Bella," I said, "Even if you stayed with me, what happens when you start to go grey and wrinkled? Are you going to lump it, or go running to him? What if you get sick? Are you going to suffer and fight? You're right, there's a lot you haven't experienced, but there are a lot of things that would still make you return to him. I want to believe you, but. . . ."

"Jacob?" she interjected. I lifted my eyebrows inquiringly. "Come down here, closer to me." She caught me off guard. I leaned over, confused, and brought my face closer to hers. She reached up with her hand and grabbed the collar of my shirt, pulling me down a little further as she smashed her lips onto mine.

It was like that first kiss, when she had hit me, except our roles were reversed. She was desperate, aggressive and unyielding, while I hesitated, remaining unresponsive.

I was sure she would stop, imagining my lack of response for rejection, but she was relentless. Her hand left my collar, reaching around my neck and into my hair. Her other hand crept under my shirt, and glided up my bare chest. It stopped at my beating heart.

I was filled with the scent of her hair, the cool touch of her fingers and the taste of her mouth.

My arms wrapped around her, lifting her up off the ground, as I straightened up to my full height. Our lips melded together, yielding to the pressure of each other's mouths. My mind was a blur, my body felt weightless, and my crushed heart swelled with life. This wasn't something I had forced. This wasn't a desperate attempt to save my life. She _wanted_ it. She had _taken_ it, without asking, because this was what _she_ wanted. Bella was _choosing_ to kiss me, pursue me, after having had it all with _him_. She had had her "real" honeymoon, but still came back into _my_ arms.

I lifted her up higher, her arms wrapping around my neck and her legs grabbing hold around my waist. Our lips held fast, not wanting to let the moment end. Our kiss stopped time and silenced the world. Then, I felt her mouth widen into a smile. Without thinking, my mouth moved with hers, smiling also. We started giggling together, happy to have this. I spun around with Bella in my arms, her body wrapped around me.

Nothing existed but us.

* * *

><p>Saturday was a different day. We were gathered at the scrap yard, all in position, waiting.<p>

The day was coming to an end, lighting the horizon in a piercing blaze of fire. I looked to the north and saw the light of the setting sun reflecting off something in the distance. A small mass of swaying grey approached us. Once in a while, the sun would slip in, beneath the darkness, creating a myriad of colors that dazzled me. I only knew of one thing that the sun could affect that way.

They arrived quickly and silently. The shrouds that hid their faces came off as they found their positions on the opposite side of the scrap yard canyon. Jasper walked out in front of us a couple of steps. The air was still.

"Bring us the girl, and we will be on our way," one of them demanded from between two henchmen.

"We are not willing to give her up," Jasper replied. We growled from behind him.

The same dark haired one who had spoken, looked over at us briefly, sneering, but otherwise ignored us. "I really did just want to get back home quickly," he said. He sounded . . . bored. He made a subtle gesture with his hand and Jasper dropped to the ground, writhing in pain.

It had started.

The one who had spoken did not fight; instead, he stood and watched. One that looked like a small girl also stood without fighting, but she didn't look idle. Her gaze was focused on Jasper, still incapacitated in front of her. The dark haired one, probably Marcus, pointed at me, sending two of the largest fighters my way. Marcus then moved to approach the immobile Jasper, reaching for a limb.

Everyone was at it all at once. The rest of the pack were fighting the rest of the Volturi, while I wrestled with the two henchmen. I fought hard, but they were big, strong and fast.

We all took hits, but gave them as well. I did everything I could to focus on the battle, my pack and Sam, but I couldn't help looking through Seth, Collin and Brady's thoughts, seeing what they saw.

I saw Bella leave the shed.

_Seth! Get her in the fucking shed!_

_I'm trying, Jake! _

I felt as his muzzle nudged her away, towards the open doorway.

"No, Seth," I heard her say to him. "I won't let Jacob die! Jasper is down, and Jake's got Felix and another one on him! I'm going to do anything I can to help him."

Shit, she's wasn't going to go inside.

_Fuck! Seth? There's no point fighting her, she's not going to give up. Help her do whatever she wants. Just, do it quickly!_

I felt Seth leaving my head, as he phased human.

_Collin, Brady, cover them!_

It was all too much of a distraction. I felt a sharp, burning pain as one of my legs got broken. It was a large bone. Shit, that was going to take a few days to heal properly, and it was going hurt like hell for the rest of this damn fight.

_As long as I don't die,_ I thought.

Sam had taken down his leech, and I saw him look over at Leah then me. It was weird not being inside his mind. He paused for a split second before heading my way. Together, Sam and I made quick work of the large vamps, and I went to attack Jane as Sam was finishing off the last one. We needed every fighter, and Jasper was on our side, for now. He had already lost an arm and Marcus was about to do more damage. If Jane didn't lose her hold on him, he'd be useless.

I thought I'd catch her by surprise, but I wasn't fast enough. In mid-air, as I leaped towards her, everything stopped. I fell to the ground, struck with the most excruciating pain. It made the injuries from the newborn fight seem like a paper cut in comparison.

The physical agony was unbearable, but still better than what came next. When I fell, the rest of the pack fell with me. Our shared minds were more closely linked than we had ever known. By hitting me, the Alpha, she had touched everyone's minds. Everyone, except Sam. He wasn't in our pack anymore.

For a split second, after our whole pack fell, every leech in the scrap yard froze, distracted by the unexpected turn of events. Sam was focused, and ignored this strange occurrence. That one split second was all he needed to leap on Jane and rip her head off. Unfortunately, the vamps were still able to injure every single one of us while we were down.

Things were looking less than ideal. Jasper was back in fighting form but minus an arm. The leader guy was fighting now, forced to by an attack from Jasper. The rest of us were holding our own but just barely. We were lucky that every leech was missing something, a hand, an arm, a foot, whatever, giving us a fighting chance, even with our injuries.

Sam was over at one side of the scrap yard, defending Paul and Quil, who were injured badly enough that they had to heal a bit before they could get back up. I thought we had the upper hand, back in the beginning, but now I wasn't sure. I wasn't confident that we'd come out of this alive.

I still watched Bella through Collin's eyes and listened for her. She wasn't very far now from where we were, and that worried me. Why was she so close?

"What are you doing with that? We need all of it!" I heard her shout.

"It's not a lot, and a few matches won't do the job," Seth answered.

What was going on up there?

Down in the scrap yard, marble body parts were being strewn about, wolf bones were cracking, and growling was heard from everyone. We needed everything we had to focus on the fight. None of us noticed the ground getting covered in grease and gasoline. It's not like any of us were going to slip because of _that_. We hadn't even heard the steel barrels fall just before this.

"The pack will get hurt, too. It's a close fight. It might still go our way," Seth said.

"It's too close, too much of a risk." Bella's voice sounded desperate and anxious.

"It's going take _all_ of them out, Bella. You know that , right?"

"I know, and I don't care. I'm not willing to risk losing Jake."

_She loves me_, I thought.

It was hard to think in the midst of the chaos. I pushed myself, relentless and determined to hold her again, but the war that surrounded me never abated. Every time I knocked one down, another one got back up. There was no end. That is, until I felt shards of glass hitting me, just as the whole canyon exploded into flames. That's when we stopped fighting and started running.

* * *

><p><em>Well, I am very sorry to leave all of you hanging at this point in the story. I didn't plan it this way. While I <strong>did<strong> have a complete outline for this, I hadn't quite worked out how it would be split up chapter-wise (because, for me, that's a process that happens as I write). Also, having a new beta meant I couldn't predict what my update schedule would be like at the outset._

_In any case, I am going on vacation (yippee for me!), so the next update will not happen until January 7th. Sorry. After that I'll go back to the Monday/Thursday update schedule starting with Monday January 9th (I'm hoping two updates in three days will make up for my absence) until this fic is done. And yes, it is NOT done. There are at least three more updates to come, possibly four._

_Thank you all for reading my story. I hope you've enjoyed it. A special thank you to all those who have left reviews, especially the "old guard" who have been regularly reading and reviewing since I started writing back in August of this year. If you haven't left a review yet, hey, what a great time to start by leaving one here! Nothing makes me feel more appreciated for my efforts than to get reviews from readers._

_Regretfully, I won't be able to reply to all your comments right away; however, I should be able to get to some early ones before my departure. In any event, I will indeed reply to all of them upon my return, as I have been doing since I've started writing. Happy New Year everyone!_


	14. Dénouement

_Let's see . . . what happened at the end of the last chapter? Oh yes, the wolves and Jasper were fighting the Volturi until, suddenly, everything blew up in flames. Again, my apologies for leaving you this past week in the midst of a battle scene. Honestly, it could have been worse. I think you might have been more upset if I left at the end of **this** chapter!_

_Don't let the title fool you. Yes, it means the end, but it also means the point at which the end occurs (the beginning of the end, not the end of the end - oh pooey, whatever, let's just get on with the chapter)._

_Again, I must bow to my ever helpful and immensely knowledgeable beta, **ShadowPast620**. _

* * *

><p><strong>Chapter 14 - Dénouement<strong>

We were burning in hell.

_I'm on fire!_

_Run!_

_The leeches are burning like stink!_

_Get on the ground and roll! Drop and roll!_

_Bella! Collin, Brady, you get her out of there NOW! _

_Shit, Jasper's burning from the inside out!_

_Fuck, my eyes sting!_

_I'm burning!_

_Roll in the fucking mud if you have to, just drop and roll, goddamn it!_

Man, didn't anyone pay attention to public safety commercials? It was at that moment that I felt the spray of chemicals invading my nose.

_Fuck! What the hell is that, now?_

_It stinks and my eyes are stinging, again!_

_It's fucking Seth!_

_I'm going to kill the little prick!_

_This shit is getting in my eyes!_

_You idiots! My brother is using a fire extinguisher! Shut the fuck up and take it like men!_

_Anyone who isn't burning, go back, and make sure every vamp is toast! Now!_

The spray disappeared as Seth's mind once again joined our consciousness.

I saw through Collin and Brady's eyes as they caught any vampire that had broken away from the fire, attacking and tossing them in. Seconds later, Seth joined them. The bloodsuckers didn't have a chance against the three young wolves. They were fresh, unharmed and eager, while the leeches were burning, dismembered and panicked.

_Who the fuck is watching Bella?_

_She's fine._

_Someone go to her NOW!_

_Brady, go! _Seth commanded.

_Why me?_

_Because I'm telling Jake it was all your fault if she gets hurt._

I guess the kid was all right after all. Brady stopped protesting and arrived next to Bella in a matter of seconds.

That was our Saturday night, just another evening at a bonfire. A stinking, purple smoke bonfire, too hot to stand near. It was an inferno that singed our skin, and burned away most of our hair. If people hadn't thought we were a gang before, they sure as hell will now. We were all close to bald, and those of us that had hair left, only had patches, so it would have to be buzzed off anyway. The most sour one of us was Leah, and rightly so. Although, I had to admit, for a chick, she actually pulled off bald and still came out looking better than most.

The good news was our skin was healing already. By morning, it would probably look like nothing had happened. The even better news was that it appeared all the vamps had burned up. There weren't any that hadn't had a chunk of them taken out, so their venom caught fire right away, burning them from the inside out. That included Jasper. I couldn't decide if that was good news or bad news.

Collin, Brady and Seth were all without injury, so I had the two younger ones running the perimeter of the scrap yard, making sure there were no stray body parts. Sam, who was not as hurt compared to the rest of us, was going around checking for any vamps that might have escaped. Seth was with the rest of us, explaining himself, along with Bella. We probably should have gone to Sue right away to look over our injuries, but we had to stay and make sure all the leeches burned to a crisp first.

"Okay, talk, now!" Leah demanded, giving Seth a hard push. I didn't know where she found the strength. I was barely able to stand up.

"Shit, Leah, you _do_ realize we saved your ass!" Seth yelled back.

"From the info I've gotten, it appears White Swan over there thought up everything, not you, puppy dog!"

Seth sneered, but obeyed Leah. Man, Rachel and Rebecca may have irritated me, but they were never like _this_.

"Bella got all antsy that you guys might not win, and Jake might get killed," Seth started explaining. "She noticed all the vamps were cut or whatever, so she started trying to tip over the oil barrels. She's just a tiny girl and had trouble, so I phased human and helped her out. She couldn't get the lids open, which is why I went human."

"And . . . ?" Leah added, gesturing with her hands for Seth to continue.

"Well . . . we had to make sure the fire was big all at once, and burned everywhere because the vampires were fast enough to run if it started slowly. The problem was, we just had a couple of matches and you were pretty far away, then I noticed a few empty beer bottles, the gas and oily rags. . . ."

"You learned how to make those from. . . ?"

"Christ, Leah! This is the twenty-first century! You do realize I _have_ stepped out of the house from time to time, right? It's a Molotov cocktail, not some fucking bomb!"

I decided it was time to let the kid loose. He had taken enough. He _had_ saved our asses, after all. Well, him and Bella.

"Hey, you did a good thing, kid," I said, as I tousled his hair. Seth slapped my hand away, irritated. He hated being treated like a kid. I'd have to keep that in mind the next time I wanted to pay him a compliment.

Sam returned just then, a worried expression on his face.

"I think one got away." That was _not_ good news.

"Are you sure?" Embry asked.

"No, I'm not sure, which is why I _think_ one got away. The fire is a raging inferno. There's no way to figure out how many of them are in there. Most of them have been burned to ashes already anyway."

"Then what makes you think one got away?" Quil inquired.

"I caught a trail. Not only was it more recent than the rest, and reeking of venom, but it was in the opposite direction from where they had come in from."

"You didn't by chance recognize which one it was, did you?" I knew it was a long shot, and to be honest, I wasn't sure if it would make a difference, even if we knew.

"I couldn't tell. It's not like I had time to take note of any individual scent while we were fighting." Sam was right. No one had had time to do anything other than act on instinct.

We stood around, thinking about our next move, tending to wounds, and basically just taking the opportunity to sit and rest. Half of us were actually lying down, unable to find a position that didn't cause more pain. The calm was broken by Bella. She had been sitting off to the side, silent and staring out at nothing. I thought it would be better to give her some time alone, to get over the shock, before going over.

She stood up suddenly, as though ready to leave and exclaimed, "I have to get back, Jake. Alice . . . I have to tell her about Jasper. She won't know; she can't see when the wolves are around. . . ." Bella sounded frantic.

It hurt me to hear this. I had thought that after yesterday, things would be different. I had thought _she_ would be different. Could I have been so wrong? Wasn't I usually pretty good at reading her?

"Bells, no."

I guess the rest of the pack understood. They all got up, most of them slowly and gingerly, the stronger ones helping the more injured, before stumbling away to where our cars had been left.

"Jake, I can't just‒"

"Yes you can!" I shouted, frustrated. "You are NOT going back there where a bunch of bloodsuckers are waiting to kill you!"

"But, Alice‒" I put my hand over her mouth. It was something I did out of anger, and regretted it, but I didn't move it away.

"NO! Not again, Bella! You told me things were different! You talked me into doing this again!" I took my hand away from her stunned, scared face. She was too startled by my rage to talk. "Prove it, Bella! Prove to me you weren't lying yesterday, that you aren't going to just run back to them, AGAIN!"

She slowly wiped my spit-spray from her face. I was a little embarrassed about that, but shit, I was _really_ upset.

"What are you asking me to do, Jacob? Forget about everyone else in my life, but you? Should I go and kick Charlie in the gut and abandon him, too? Maybe I should just lock myself in a cave, away from society, only answering to your voice?" She was angry, now that she was over her initial shock. "I thought _you_ were different, Jacob. I thought _you_ would never stop me from doing what I wanted to do, that you would let me stumble and make my own mistakes. Are you about to tell me this is for _my own good_?"

"That's not what this is, and I resent you comparing _this_ to the shit _he_ does to you!"

"Then tell me, _what is_ _this_? If it's different, tell me what all this 'prove it' crap is!"

"You've left me before, to save _him_! You've put _them_ before your own life, again and again. I've asked you to value your life over theirs, again and again. I've asked to you to stay, for me. Each and every time, you said no. This is the last time I'm going to ask, Bella. This is the last time I'm going to ask _anything_ of you, _ever_." I took a deep breath, trying to hold it together. "_Stay_, Bella. Choose your own life over those who've lived longer than anyone deserves to. Stay, for _me_."

The silence divided us, heavy with anticipation.

I wasn't going to look away. I refused to leave, so she could get out of answering. I felt it. This was the moment that would decide _everything_ for me. There had been so many moments like this, but it had never been the last. I had always come back, but I didn't have enough to do it again. I barely had enough in me to do _this_ right now.

"Jake, you know‒"

"I know," I said, interrupting her, "and you know. Don't turn this into something else. No excuses, Bells. I'm going to be clear so you know what I'm asking. This time, it's not for Charlie, and not to save your own life. I'm selfishly asking you to stay, for _me_, _just_ me."

She took a deep breath, her eyes never moving away from mine, and whispered, "I'll stay."

I couldn't react at first. I wasn't sure if my ears were playing tricks on me, but these were wolf ears. I knew I could trust them, but I was still afraid. I wondered if I should ask her to repeat it, just to be sure. But what if that made her change her mind?

I felt a heavy whack on my back, sending piercing shots of pain into every joint in my upper body.

"Okay, she picked you, now let's get the fuck out of here and get some first aid," Leah stated, as she took my arm, pulling me up. Again, where did she get the strength?

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Bella smile.

We made it to the Clearwater place, mostly in one piece. We really were in a bad state. The burns were healing pretty quickly, but most of us had several broken bones. We got Bella, Seth, Sam and Embry to drive. Seth didn't have a driver's license, but he knew how to drive, and he was injury free. I was tempted to let Collin or Brady take a car, instead of Embry, but neither of them had driven before.

Sue took one look at us and started barking out orders to the unharmed. A lot of our smaller broken bones had healed already, but Sue felt around to make sure they were fine. Three of us had larger bones that needed to be re-set. Collin, Brady and Seth were presented with this task, since the rest of us had limited mobility in our arms hands, or wrists. None of them wanted to volunteer. I guess it had something to do with the fact that it was me, Sam and Paul who needed the re-breaking.

"No fu‒, sorry, Mrs. Clearwater. I mean, no way! It's not fair!" Collin whined.

"_You_ do it! You're the oldest!" Brady added.

"Yeah, I'm the oldest, which means I call the shots, and it is _definitely_ not going to be me!" Seth stated adamantly. Were we really that scary?

"For Christ's sake, just do it already! The longer you wait, the worse it's going to be. I can already feel that bone in my damn leg getting fused together," Paul complained.

"We're not going to get upset with you boys. We know this is something that has to be done," Sam said calmly.

"Look, this is nothing I haven't been through before, if I say I'll be okay with it, I mean it," I added. Paul was right. We had to get this show on the road.

"Fine, I take Sam." Brady offered.

"Hey, who says you get first pick?" Collin demanded, but before anyone could negotiate further, Brady was already at Sam's side with Sue showing him what needed to be done. We heard a sickening crack followed by a muffled groan, then it was over. Sam patted Brady on the back and even thanked him. Brady walked over to the couch, smug, and sat down.

Collin and Seth looked at each other, then both of them sprinted for me. It was nice to know I was still regarded as more reasonable than Paul.

They arrived at once, and started pushing and shoving.

"Piss off, Collin! This is _my_ house!"

"Well . . . Jake's _my_ cousin, so I get dibs on him!"

"That's just dumb! Half the damn reservation is related to Jake!"

"Yeah? Well, _you_ aren't!"

"I'm sure I am _somewhere_ along the line."

"If you can't tell me right this instant how you're related then it doesn't count!"

This was starting to get ridiculous. I mean, I knew we were all kids, but come on! We had just taken out some of the most powerful vampires on earth, and they were bickering about my family tree?

"That's it! Both of you, stop! Collin, come and re-break my damn arm, and Seth suck it up and go help Paul, now!"

Seth made his way over to Paul, muttering under his breath, "I always get the crappy jobs. . . ."

"You realize everyone can hear you, right?" I snorted, amused.

Well, it turned out Seth was right. He _did_ get the crappy job. Paul ended up kicking him in the face, dislocating his jaw. In Paul's defence, he didn't do it on purpose. The sudden pain caused him to react and jerk his other leg. It was just unfortunate that Seth's face was in the way.

After a couple of days had passed, I was resting in the Clearwater living room, along with Paul. We were the worst off from the battle, and Sue insisted we had to "bunk" at her place until she gave us the all clear. I felt bad, creating all this extra work for her, but she seemed to enjoy taking care of us, and I liked having her take care of me. Sometimes, it almost felt like I had a mom.

The house was bursting at the seams. Leah, Seth and Sam had all left the Cullen house and moved in here. They didn't feel right staying there when we hadn't even called to tell them about Jasper. Bella told us the Volturi mind reader was so powerful that no one would be able to keep their thoughts from him. If they found out their expedition party had been destroyed, there would be no reason for them to keep waiting. She felt it would be better for the Cullens if they had more time. I felt it would be better for us to heal, and give the Cullens a chance to take some of them out, before the rest of them came after us.

Today, Leah had gone out with Bella to shop for a wig in Seattle. It was the first time she had left Sam ― with the exception of the sparring sessions ― since Emily had died.

The two of them didn't come back until dusk, but their trip was a success. Leah "modelled" her new hair for us, and it looked really good. She had been wearing an awful wig that she covered up with a hat, but it wasn't going to be winter forever. Leah would have been fine without anything, from a vanity standpoint, but we couldn't have her walking around with a shaved head like the rest of us. It would raise too many questions. That's how Bella had talked Leah into letting her purchase one made from natural hair.

I watched as Leah spoke about the wig and ran her fingers through the soft hair. She was almost . . . shy when she talked about it, and the two of them seemed like they were getting along pretty well, too. It was nice, but strange.

They left us soon after to show it to Sue, in the other room. I noticed the bag had been left strewn on the floor, so I reached over and lifted it up, making the receipt fall out. I picked it up and glanced down at it. The wig had been three thousand dollars! No wonder Leah looked sheepish. How had Bella convinced Leah to let her spend that much money on her? Leah was definitely not the same girl. It seemed she changed at the same rate that Sam did.

Every day, since the day he found out about the burning, Sam seemed to improve by leaps and bounds, but he was different, too. I guess I never knew him well before he was a wolf, so this may have been what he had been like back then. He was quiet and melancholy, approaching all of us with understanding and patience. He phased only to help with patrol, but he didn't like it. I got the feeling he wanted to stop phasing, forever.

"Jake?" Bella asked, stirring me from my thoughts. I hadn't noticed her come into the room. I must have really been in a trance.

"Yeah?" I asked in return.

"I just wanted to let you know that I'm leaving. I have to get dinner for Charlie." It was a perfunctory statement.

We were in a strange place right now. On the outside, we were friends again, joking and laughing, and hanging out with the pack. On the inside, I ached to be alone with her, to hold her in my arms and know that what we had shared, what she had said to me, were all truths and not illusions. The problem was, we were never alone, and I had been bed-ridden, wearing braces, for the last two and a half days.

"Oh, Bella? Did I hear you say you were cooking for Charlie?" Sue chirped, as she made her way into the room.

"Yes, Sue. I'll be back tomorrow to help out," Bella offered.

"Don't feel you have to, but of course I know Jake, Seth and Leah always enjoy your company," she replied, smiling coyly at me. "Anyhow, that's not why I asked. I've got a casserole here for Charlie and a slice of cake."

"Oh . . . No, Sue, you have enough to do. You don't need to cook for me and Charlie. That's just ridiculous!"

"Now, now, I didn't do anything extra. What with the amount of food I have to cook to keep those two over there fed," she said, jerking her head towards me and Paul, "along with Seth, Sam and Leah, there's more than enough to go around. What you're taking is smaller than Jacob's afternoon snack! Here," she insisted, giving a large bag to Bella, "I've already packed it all. Don't let my efforts go to waste." Bella took the bag from her, unable to say no. No one was ever able to say no to Sue.

"Thank you, Sue. I'll let Charlie know how kind you've been," she said appreciatively.

"It was nothing. Well, you've got some extra time now, and I'm sure Jake will appreciate the company. That boy is so bored, I saw him flipping through one of my women's magazines this morning."

I heard Paul snicker as Sue walked out of the room. I didn't bother retorting. If I did, it would only take away the amount of time I had with Bella.

"Seth," Paul hollered, "I need you to give me a hand. I have to go to the bathroom, now!"

I turned to him when Bella was distracted, peering into the bag of food, and mouthed, "thanks." He just sneered and shrugged his shoulders. I couldn't believe it, but I actually felt bad for wanting to throw out his circular saw.

Once Paul and Seth left the room, Bella came over and sat on the edge of the couch right where my legs rested.

"Are you in a lot of pain, Jake?"

"Nah, I'm okay. I think I'll be all healed by morning. This isn't nearly as bad as last summer."

She reached up, running her hand over the short buzz cut I now wore.

"I guess it's going to be a while before I have any decent amount of hair."

Bella shrugged, smiling at me. "You still look good to me."

"Sure, sure, but the long hair made me look beautiful, sort of, right?" I replied, smiling back.

"Yes, but now you're just beautiful, period." My heart skipped a beat.

"Are you really going to stay, Bells? Just like that?" I asked hesitantly.

"Yup. I've pretty much moved back into Charlie's house."

"So, that's it? You're not going back for some long, drawn out goodbye, or anything?" That's just what I needed, for the leech to have one more chance to lure her away again.

"I'm not going back, but I do need to say goodbye. I have to contact them, Jake. I've waited, for you and them, but I have to tell Edward I'm staying here, and Alice needs to know about Jasper. She's my best friend, Jacob, my sister." I hated hearing her describe a bloodsucker as her friend and sister. It made me cringe.

"I thought I was your best friend."

"I don't think 'best friend' quite describes what you are to me now. Best friends don't do this." Bella lowered herself, slowly. She kept her body off me by propping herself on her elbows, probably afraid to hurt me. I felt the warmth of her breath on my face as her lips, moist and slightly parted, descended slowly, stopping when they touched mine.

What a horrible time to be rendered a cripple! I had a brace on one leg, reaching from mid-thigh to my ankle. There was another brace on my right arm that went up past my elbow. The other arm housed a brace on my wrist and hand. All I wanted to do was hold her.

I felt her lips leave mine, and move slowly down my throat. She was kneeling on the floor now, next to me, as her hand slid under my shirt. It moved so slowly, beginning at my waist and sliding up to my chest. Her lips gingerly touched my skin with soft, light kisses as they moved across my neck to my ear, along my face and back to my mouth. I could feel her hair brush my arms, as my mind spun in a vortex of desire. She was what I had been fighting for. This moment made me remember what made the pain worthwhile.

All too quickly for me, she pulled away, her hands on my face as her lips left mine.

"I have to go, Jake."

"I thought you had some extra time, now that you didn't have to cook."

"You probably haven't noticed, but there's a storm coming, and I want to get home before it hits. You know I hate driving in snow."

I looked across the room, out the front window. The ground was already covered in snow from a week ago, the temperature never getting quite warm enough to melt it. If it got warmer when the storm hit, she'd be driving home on a sheet of ice.

"You're right. You should get going. I wish I could go with you, just in case."

"Jake, I don't want you getting up unnecessarily, until you're better."

"I'll probably be good enough to phase by morning."

"All the more reason to rest. I'll be back tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay," I replied, as Bella got up. She put on her coat and grabbed the bag of food, before reaching to touch me again.

"Bye, Jake."

"Bye. Love you."

"Love you, too."

I watched her through the window, as she got into her truck and drove away. Fluffy, white snowflakes began to slowly blow in the wind just as she left.

I must have fallen asleep, because the next thing I knew, Seth was shaking me awake.

"What? Something wrong?" I asked, groggy. I looked over and noticed Paul was asleep, snoring loudly .

"It's okay, Jake. I just wanted to tell you that Bella called. She's stuck out on the one-ten, just a couple of miles before the junction where it meets the one-oh-one. I wanted to let you know I was going out to help her," Seth answered.

"I can go," I said, trying to get myself off the coach. Seth pushed me back down. "Jake, you probably shouldn't phase just yet, and I know you don't want to keep her waiting. It's no big deal. If it were, I would have called someone else to help out." I knew he was right, but it was hard to think of him as anything other than a ninth grader.

"Where's Sam, or Leah?" I asked. They had recovered enough that they could phase. Even if Sam didn't want to, he at least had a truck and a driver's license.

"They left, said they needed some 'privacy' to talk or something." Seth rolled his eyes, but I ignored him, deep in thought.

I didn't want to redirect the guys patrolling for this. We had to keep close watch now, more than ever. The others were probably trying get a little shuteye before their patrol shifts started.

"Okay, but don't go off doing anything boneheaded, you hear?" I warned. "You let someone know if it's more than just a flat or something."

Seth rolled his eyes at me. "I'm not an idiot, Jake." He let out a loud sigh before getting up.

I immediately felt guilty. He was doing a lot of patrolling lately, picking up the slack for the injured. I guess I had to stop treating him like a kid. He had been there for Bella twice now and saved the rest of us a few days ago.

"Hey, Seth?" I called, as he made his way out of the room. He turned to look at me. "Thanks. I appreciate this."

"No problem, Jake." He smiled and ran out the front door.

I couldn't get back to sleep. All I did was stare at the clock, watching as each minute passed, wondering how much time was reasonable for Seth to take before he returned. It had already been forty-five minutes. I should have asked him to call me once he got to her. I just couldn't understand why he hadn't come back yet. He should have gotten out there in a few minutes, and even if the problem was too much for him to fix, he'd be able to carry her home pretty quickly.

Maybe Seth had decided to stay a few minutes to have some hot chocolate or something. Bella had gotten to know him pretty well last fall, and she was always offering that sort of stuff to people. Maybe he had gotten caught up in conversation with Charlie. That's it, I'd call Charlie. Shit, that wouldn't work either. If Bella wasn't home, he'd just get worried and start a search party. The last thing we needed was for someone to see Seth demonstrating superhuman strength.

I gingerly took the braces off, testing my limbs. They seemed strong. I was pretty sure they had been healed. I stood up and walked across the room. My legs were a little stiff from being on the couch for so long, but other than that, everything seemed fine. I knew my body better than some of the other guys, having recovered from serious injuries before. Phasing shouldn't be a problem anymore. . . .

Once I was in my wolf form, I heard surprise in the thoughts of those on patrol, but other than that, it was a fairly quiet night. We had been spread out pretty thin since our last fight. The patrol perimeter had increased, and we didn't have a full roster. Right now, the others were all pretty far away.

I was running at a leisurely pace in the woods towards Forks when I was hit by Seth's mind entering the collective. Through his eyes, I saw shreds of cloth scattering, the result of phasing on the fly. The sickly, acidic scent burned his nasal passages, just as the screeching, high-pitched voice screamed out in anger.

I put my mind inside Seth's, seeing, hearing and smelling everything around him. Bella was breathing heavily behind him. I couldn't see her, but I could hear her heart beating rapidly and smell the strawberry scent, even in the midst of the vampire reek. In front of her stood the clairvoyant, her supposed "friend" and "sister." She had her teeth bared and was being held back by the mind reader.

I searched everything around Seth, and into his thoughts to figure out where they were. I didn't ask him, because I couldn't risk diverting his focus away from protecting Bella.

I ran with all my strength as the little dark-haired female shouted out, "_I'm going to kill you, Bella Swan!_"

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><p><em>Yeah, yeah, it's a bit of a cliffie, but the next update is on Monday ― as in the day after tomorrow! What will happen in the next chapter you ask? Well . . . you get to find out what the hell is going on!<em>

_Thanks for waiting around until I came back from my vacation. I hope it was worth the wait. As always, your reviews are appreciated!_


	15. Silence

_Why is Alice ready to kill Bella, and what will happen? Will Jacob arrive soon enough to prevent an altercation? The answers are below. . . ._

_Ah, but before we get started, a short message about formatting. I didn't do this before, but this particular chapter has a large portion (later on) where a lot of things are said and/or thought, one after the other (you'll know when you get there). So, for your convenience, (hopefully that's what it'll be, and not an annoyance) I am providing a sort of legend._

"Things people say in quotes but are not italicized" = speech that is heard

"_Things people say that are in quotes but are italicized_"=speech that is overheard (in this chapter, through someone else's thoughts; previously, it has also been used for overheard telephone conversations)

_Things that are said/thought that are italicized but are not in quotes _= things that are thought, but not spoken aloud

Things written that are not italicized or in quotes = exposition / narration

_Thank you to **ShadowPast620** who has tirelessly beta'ed and re-beta'ed so many of these last few chapters, so many times, I don't even remember which chapters I re-wrote how many times. (By the way, she did not beta this paragraph, thus the convoluted wording)._

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><p><strong>Chapter 15 - Silence<strong>

"_I'm sorry, Alice. I had no choice,_" I heard Bella's voice echo from behind Seth.

Where were they that there was an echo like that? Seth wasn't thinking about his location. He didn't even notice who was in his head. He was completely focused on the events unfolding before him, following every subtle move from the bloodsuckers.

"_You had a choice. You've always had choices!" _the little parasite screeched. "_You fucking, selfish bitch! You had Edward, but that wasn't enough! You had to sacrifice __**my**__ Jasper so you could hang on to __**both**__ of them!_"

Edward held his "sister" back, but it was a struggle. I had a feeling, between him reading her thoughts and her seeing his intentions, it was more a mental battle then a physical one.

At first, I wondered how she could predict Edward's moves with Seth around, but remembered she had no problems fighting during the newborn fight with all of us there.

"_Alice, perhaps __**he**__ is her true love, not me,_" the douche bag offered, in a voice too calm for the situation.

_You got that right, asshole_, I thought.

"_You have no idea what's in her head! Her future always flickered between becoming one of us and disappearing altogether. Even after she came back from Montana, there was a brief moment when I saw her as a vampire. Not until she left this time, did it disappear completely, and that's just because she's been __**here**__, with __**them**__!_" She pointed to Seth, who growled loudly.

Okay, they were up high. I could see the tops of trees. The sleet was coming down in diagonal lines, hitting their faces. It wasn't too high, or else it would have been snow.

"_Alice, it __**is**__ Jacob. It's __**always**__ been Jacob. I just didn't know it."_

_"Sure, Bella. It's Jacob, **today**!"_

_"They would have all __**died**__!_" Bella pleaded. "_It was the only thing I could do!_"

I couldn't hear any traffic, nothing. That meant they were probably in the park. Most likely, they had gone north from the junction, to stay in the trees, but I wasn't sure.

"_You didn't know that! They still had a chance. __**Jasper**__ still had a chance!_"

"_You would have done the same, if it were Jasper._" Now Bella's voice was bitter, filled with anger. "_You would have let Jacob die, without a thought. You would have even killed Edward with your bare hands, if you had to!_"

Embry and Collin were patrolling the east border. They were south of Forks, but running to the same destination as me. No one talked. We didn't need to; we were of one mind.

"_And if I did, you __**still**__ wouldn't have been alone for all eternity!_" Well, well, it would appear the "family" wasn't so close knit after all. "_You love them both! If one died, you would have still had the other, someone you loved, and who loved you back! Me? I'm alone now, forever!_"

The little parasite bent down to bite her "brother." He was able to move his arm away just in time, but that loosened his hold on her.

It was a flash, so fast even Seth's wolf eyes had trouble following it all, but I knew Bella saw.

The two vamps struggled once Edward lost his grip. The little one somehow ripped both his arms off, but not without losing one of her own. The dark-haired fortune teller leaped for Bella, just as Seth jumped in the air, teeth bared, and aimed at the bloodsucker's neck.

Edward, with no arms, ran. Sure, it was just a split second to make a decision, but it was still _his_ decision. Without his arms, he only had his teeth. There was only one way to stop the female. He had to clamp down on her with his fangs. It couldn't be just some little wound either. He'd have to rip her head off. But that's not what he chose.

He ran past the female, who did some damn pirouette to avoid him, then past Seth, who got knocked off balance, slightly. Edward landed on Bella, pushing her to the ground. His body shielded hers as he lay on top with his legs ready to kick.

Seth's one, slight misstep gave the little leech the opening she needed to sink her teeth into him. He grabbed her neck with his own teeth at the same time. They both fell together. Seth's thoughts began to fade from our consciousness with the blurring vision of a black-haired marble head rolling on the ground.

We all stopped running for a split second, holding our breath. We had never lost a brother to death, and we weren't prepared to lose Seth. That's when we heard it. His thoughts were a silent void in our minds. We could no longer see the sites that surrounded him, or knew what he was thinking, but we could hear what he heard. That meant he was alive. Yes, his eyes were closed; yes, he was weak, but he was alive!

No longer having the aid of Seth's subconscious to delve into, nor his vision of the surroundings, we blindly ran, each of us in different directions. We all listened intently, hoping something would be given away to tell us where they were. Could Edward hear our thoughts through Seth's mind, or did Seth's weakened state prevent him from doing so?

"_Bella, please,_" the selfish leech begged.

_Jake, where should we go?_

"_How could you?_" Bella screamed back.

_All of you, head for the junction where the one-oh-one meets the one-ten. That was the starting point. We'll split up from there._

"_Bella . . ._"

"_You let him die, so __**she**__ wouldn't have to!_"

"_She was my sister, Bella._"

"_No she wasn't! She was a stranger who came to live with you one day! She's lived more than her fair share of life! Seth didn't even have a driver's license! I don't even think he's kissed a girl yet!_"

"_He's still alive, Bella. I can hear his heartbeat, and he can hear us talking._"

"_Then help him! At least tell me how __**I**__ can help him!_"

"_There's nothing to be done. We can only wait and hope his body heals faster than it deteriorates." There was a short pause when neither spoke, then he continued, "You were right. I should have gone after Alice; I should have stopped her._"

"_Don't tell me you're sorry! What good is sorry now? What do you live for, Edward? You don't respect humanity; you didn't love our baby; what do you live for?_"

"_I live for you._"

Fuck! The bloodsucker was at it again! He was going to talk her into going back with him, again!

"_You lived almost a century before I even existed! What did you live for all that time? What mattered?_"

"_I spent it waiting for you._"

_Embry, Collin, how far out are you?_

"_That's a lie! You never thought anyone like me existed, or ever would. You said it yourself! How could you wait for something that you thought would never exist?_"

_We're about five minutes from the junction._

"_Bella, please. . . ._"

"_I'm never going back, Edward._"

"_This one thing has changed __**everything**__ for you?_"

"_What __**one**__ thing? The fact that you let an innocent child die so a hundred year old vampire could live? The fact that you couldn't stand, never mind love, our child?_"

"_Okay._"

"_Okay, what?_"

SHIT! NO! He couldn't. He just couldn't! Not _that_!

"_I'll do it._"

Why wasn't she saying anything?

"_Bella?_"

"_No._"

Was my mind deceiving me, or had she just said "no"?

"_No, to what?_"

Even _he_ couldn't believe it.

"_No, it's not just __**that**__ anymore. I don't want to risk dying Edward, not if it means I'll leave my child alone in the world. There's no Rosalie or Esme to care for him in my place and no Carlisle to help me through it."_

What was she talking about? Had they all died?

"_I would never abandon you, or anything you loved, Bella._"

_I'm at the junction; Embry, Collin, where are you?_

"_I thought it would be enough, to have just you. I thought it would be enough to give up everything, my humanity, Charlie, Renee . . . Jake, but it's not. I know that now._"

_Three minutes away, Jake!_

"_Bella, think clearly. What has changed in the last few months? We are still us, and we still love each other._"

"_I wanted a family, Edward. I love you, but I loved your family, too. All I ever had before was one parent in my life, but being with you. . . . I had a husband, a mother __**and**__ a father, together, and brothers and sisters . . . then the possibility of a child. . . . It was so surreal, that I could have it all. It was so much that I wouldn't have thought twice about becoming a killer, a murderous newborn, to get all of it. It was monstrous._"

"_Is that what it is, Bella? You finally see me for the monster that I am? All the times I've tried to make you see, and you come to the realization now? Now, that I know I cannot exist without you? Now, when there is nothing, and no one in my life but you?_"

"_Everything I wanted by joining your life is gone now, except you, Edward. I love you, but I hate that I was willing to become a murderer to have my happily ever after. I hate that I was willing to give up my parents, breaking them, to join a family that hadn't nurtured me, raised me, or spent so much of their short, human life, for me._"

"_I would help you, Bella. I would keep you from becoming a monster. I would do anything, and give up everything, for you._"

_Where's the other patrol group?_

"_I thought my love for you was the same. I thought I'd give anything up for you, too._"

_We're still ten minutes away from the junction, _replied Jared and Brady.

"_But now? You don't want me because __**just**__ me is not enough for you?_"

_I'm running north from the junction right now. Embry, Collin, when you get here go east. Jared, you and Brady head south._

"_Eternity with just one person, without change, is not happiness. Rosalie had more than that, and she still wasn't happy. I didn't see, because I didn't want to. Who in your family wouldn't have given up everything that I once admired and envied, just to be human? To be mortal?_"

"_**She**__ wouldn't have done that._"

I wondered who the hell the parasite was talking about. Probably the fortune teller.

"_She had no memory of what it was like to be human._"

"_And Jacob? You'd be happy with second best?_"

I felt the knife as it drove deep into my heart.

"_He's not second, Edward. I didn't know that until recently, just like I never knew I loved him until he forced me to see. I had to live with him for six weeks, have a life with him, Leah and Seth to realize that. Leaving Jacob that night was the hardest thing I ever did. If Aro hadn't sent that gift, I don't think I would have ever left._"

"_The animal almost killed you that night._"

The conversation was starting to fade. The voices were so quiet, I had to strain to hear them. I knew this meant Seth was slipping.

"_And I wouldn't care. I wouldn't have cared if I died, not if it made Jacob whole. That's how I knew. I would have died if it could have made him happy. I had to leave him to know it was __**him**__ all along. Stupid, why am I always so stupid . . . ?_"

"_Seth's heart is weakening, Bella._" The leech sounded distant, like he was actually regretful. He didn't fool me.

That's when I arrived. _He_ knew I was close well before I saw him.

_Embry, Jared, I found them! Go north from the junction!_

Bella was bent over Seth's wolf, crying.

Edward was bent over, trying to retrieve his arms.

I snatched both limbs with my mouth, jerking them away from him. My head reeled quickly, tossing them into the forest.

_Embry, when you get here, burn those arms before he goes after them again. I don't care if you have to rub two sticks to get a fire started._

_Got it._

I lunged for him.

The fucking mind reading was irritating. He kept evading my attacks, even without his god damn arms.

_Collin, you need to help me go after this prick. He won't be able to dodge both of us._

_Got it, Chief!_

"I'm so sorry, Seth!" Bella wailed, slumped over the sandy wolf. "It's all my fault! Seth!"

_What's happened? What did she do to my brother?_

Oh, crap, Leah. This was going to be ugly. If she was anywhere close to us, I wouldn't have to try and kill this pathetic douche. She'd do it for me. I'd have to use my efforts to save Bella from her.

_The clairvoyant killed him, Leah. The mind reader didn't stop her when he had the chance. He **chose** not to stop her._

What the fuck did I care? I owed him nothing, and it was the truth.

I saw the rage that filled Leah's mind. It was a dark hell that teemed with vengeance.

_What the hell did your girlfriend do? What was her 'fault'?_

Even through her thoughts, I could feel Leah's voice crack with tears that she held back.

_Nothing! She just says crap like that!_

_What the hell was Seth doing there?_

I knew now what the fucking mind reader meant when he called my thoughts "loud." I never thought a person could go deaf without actually hearing anything, until now.

_I don't know. He came to help her with car trouble on the one-ten. Fucking just get here!_

_I'm there in two minutes, and someone is going to get their head ripped off._

_No, Leah! Not her!_

Shit, this was the last thing I needed.

_Collin! Thank the fucking lord!_

_I got him on his left, Jake._

_Don't think, and don't talk to me, just do . . . whatever. He can read our minds!_

_This is **that** one? _

We both randomly went after him, but he managed to dodge every attack. It was infuriating. The whole time I kept one eye on Bella, still crying over Seth's body, and half my mind in Leah's head, keeping track of where she was. She was close.

Embry grabbed marble body parts and tossed them into the woods before disappearing himself. Less than a minute later, the rancid smell of burning venom overpowered my senses.

That's when I saw Embry come out of the woods ― human! It was bad enough I was trying to get just one hit in on a fucking telepath with only a thirteen year old to help me, all the while keeping an eye on my girl and Seth's lunatic sister set on killing her, but now Embry had to come in _human_?

He ran to Bella, and pulled her away from the sandy wolf.

"Bella, you can't stay here, it's not safe."

"I can't leave him Embry, this is all my fault."

_I **knew** she had something to do with this!_

_Leah, we need you focused. Collin and I need help!_

"We'll take care of him, Bella. I'm going to pick you up, okay?"

"Embry, he just started high school. Out in Montana, that girl . . . it was his first date! I don't even know if he got a chance to kiss her!"

Embry had to pry her fingers out of Seth's fur. At least he had a level head. He was trying to get Bella out of sight before Leah arrived.

Embry didn't have a chance to get Bella away yet, when Leah leaped out from the opposite side. She only paused for a split second as she caught sight of her brother, but it was enough time for the damn mind reading leech to jump at her, teeth bared, and ready to bite.

Seth's mind exploded into our consciousness as his one purpose superseded the need to heal. He crashed into Edward in mid-air, his teeth barely grazing the bloodsucker, but it stopped the attack on Leah. Too weak to fight, Seth was crushed by the marble legs wound around him.

One heartbeat ceased to exist. The silence consumed us as Seth left our thoughts forever.

The raging grief emanating from Leah stunned us, as we all fell to the ground. She reached Edward, with no thoughts, no sound, just fury. Her teeth bit down into his stone cold neck before the leech released the limp, sandy wolf.

"NO! Seth!" Bella screamed, throwing her body on the still wolf. " I can **never** forgive you for this, Edward! Never!"

"Bella. . . ." It was his last word as Leah tore him, frenzied.

A bronze-haired marble head rolled towards me. Its eyes were hazy with sorrow, and its tongue lolled out in a contorted grimace.

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><p><em>Okay, we are back to the Monday  Thursday update schedule again. Tune in Thursday to find out what happened back at the new Cullen Compound..._

_Oh yeah, and I really appreciate reviews!_


	16. Resolution

_Okay, it's the wrap up chapter; however, it's still not the last one. There is a short update coming after this._

_As always, many thanks to my beta **ShadowPast620**, who read two versions of this, both sent her way pretty last minute thanks to writer's block on my part._

_A nod also goes to **Its a Jacob Thing** who referred to Alice as "pixie dust" (you know, after she read the part where Alice turned to . . . dust) because I used this in my chapter below._

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><p><strong>Chapter 16 - Resolution<strong>

"You fucking bitch! I went and believed we were friends! I thought you loved him!"

"Leah, I'm so sorry. If I could, I would have died in his place!" Bella wailed through her tears, pulling at her hair and falling to the ground. "I didn't know . . ." she whispered, dropping her face in her hands.

"You think stupidity is going to get you off the hook for _this_?" Leah gave her a firm push, making Bella sprawl on the ground.

"Come on, Leah, let's go," Embry said gently, as he took hold of her, pulling her away. "You'll have plenty of time to talk to her later."

I turned to help Bella up, but she motioned me away. Collin, also seeing this, took hold of my arm, hesitant.

"Talking is not what I intend on doing," Leah spat. "Get your fucking hands off me, asshole!" she barked, struggling to free herself from Embry's grasp.

"It wasn't her fault, Leah," Embry persisted. "We saw and heard everything. It was the leech."

"You mean her _husband_ or her _sister-in-law_? Are you talking about the leeches that wanted nothing with my brother and were only interested in _her_?"

"I tried, Leah," Bella continued, no longer shouting. She sounded resigned, like she was giving up the struggle, as though she was ready to succumb to whatever punishment Leah wanted to bestow upon her. "I tried to send Seth home when Edward and Alice arrived, but he wanted to stay," she continued in a low, quiet voice. "You know he and Edward had become friends . . ."

"And then what? You had to go and spill the beans to your damn 'family' that my baby brother helped kill that fucking blond parasite?"

"No, Leah! I would never do that!" Bella interjected, momentarily ignited with emotion. "I didn't tell them about . . . our involvement. Alice found out by accident."

"What are you talking about?" Leah stopped struggling, genuinely interested in finding the answer.

"I . . . I started telling them how Jasper died in a fire, but . . . she didn't believe me. They knew I was lying. I saw Edward's expression change, and I knew he had read Seth's thoughts. He knew, but he didn't tell Alice. He made up a lie for me. He said the fire was an accident."

"Then how the fuck did she find out?" Leah's face began going red with rage again . I went to Bella's side, standing just a step in front of her.

"She didn't believe Edward. They know each other really well, and she kept insisting he tell her. I guess, he couldn't keep lying to her."

"So my brother died because _your_ damn husband couldn't _lie_? He's been living a lie for a bazillion years! You are _not_ going to make me believe _that's_ what caused all this!"

"Seth tried to take the blame, but I wouldn't let him. I told Alice it was all my decision, and that Seth only helped because I begged him. I even told her he tried to stop me, telling me it was an even fight, that our side could still win, and that's when she . . ." Bella paused to wipe the tears from her face. "That's when Alice went for me."

Bella had made herself the target to take it off Seth, and it still hadn't been enough. She was defeated, not even resisting Leah's rage now. If it weren't for Embry and me, Bella would have gladly let Leah shred her to pieces.

I knew how she felt because I felt the same way ― responsible for Seth's death. Why hadn't I found a way to get here earlier? Why wasn't I the one to jump to Leah's aid? If I had only paid attention, I could have at least knocked Seth out of the way before the damn bloodsucker wrapped his legs around him.

"Then why? _You_ were the one she wanted to kill, why him?" Leah was no longer speaking to Bella, as her head bent down and her body went limp in Embry's arms. "It was me. It was _my_ fault. If I hadn't jumped in without thinking, this would have never happened. This was all my fault." Tears streamed down her face as her body slumped over Embry's arms, her hands dragging on the dirt.

Things were intense. Seth hadn't phased. He was dead, as a wolf. The rest of us had phased back as soon as Leah had, but none of us had a chance to get dressed yet. Leah had gone after Bella faster than anyone expected. We thought she was phasing to talk, but she did it because she knew we wouldn't attack her if we were wolf, and she was human. If I hadn't been there, phasing on the fly, Bella would have been dead.

"It wasn't you, Leah," Bella said, as she moved towards Leah. I reached out to stop her, but she pushed me away. "You were right; this was all me. I bring disaster everywhere I go." Bella's hands caressed Leah's head, as she rested her cheek on it. "I should have made Seth leave. I should have . . . I should have called Jacob and told him to order Seth to leave."

"Why? Why did they come here?" Leah was over her rage, and was now consumed with grief. She was hiccupping with every other word, tears streaming down her face.

"They came to tell us what happened, so we wouldn't be waiting for a war that would never start. All the others had died, the Volturi that were at their place, the Denalis, and the rest of the Cullens. The only ones who escaped were the tracker, and Aro's shield," Bella answered. "You know how fond Seth was of the Cullens. He wanted to know what happened, too, but the road was busy so we came up here for privacy, and to get away from the sleet. It had only started coming down over here just a few minutes before Jake arrived."

"They're all dead?" Collin asked. Bella just nodded, not saying a word. The two girls, and that's what they were, still girls in so many ways, held on to each other, sobbing quietly.

This was hard for me. I knew Bella was grieving for _them,_ too. Not just the doctor, or his wife — both of whom I thought were okay, considering — but for _all_ of them. She would never admit it, maybe not even to herself, but I knew she was even grieving for the bloodsucker that had killed Seth.

"You're not the one that attracts disaster, I am," Leah whispered, on the ground, a glazed expression on her face. "My father, Emily, Sam, and now Seth. It's all this hatred I have inside, it's finally coming out and hurting everyone I love. What am I being punished for?"

"Sam?" I asked. "Something happened to Sam?" What _else_ could possibly go wrong this week? Was there anything else left for us to lose?

"He left," Leah answered. "I don't know if he'll ever come back. I begged him to stay, or at least let me come with him, but he . . . he's in too much pain. Being with me was starting to make him feel . . . guilty."

"Where did he go?" I inquired, with caution. I wasn't sure if this was the right time to ask, but it seemed to get her mind off her grief over Seth, momentarily.

"I don't know," she answered, getting up. "He wouldn't tell anyone." Leah started untying the string around her ankle, getting her clothes. "He doesn't want to be found, Jake, just like you, when you ran away, except I don't think he's going to phase again, ever. Not if he can help it."

The rest of us followed Leah's cue and got dressed as we listened.

"I have no one now," she whispered weakly.

"You have your mom, and she'll need you," I said, putting a hand on her shoulder. She nodded, patting my hand. It would have felt awkward at any other time, but right now it felt right as I pulled her into my arms and held her. She cried on my shoulder, shaking. Tears streamed down my face as well, falling onto Leah.

"How did Edward and the little one get away? I didn't think they'd be the best fighters." I heard Embry whisper to Bella.

"Aro, the leader, wanted Alice and Edward to join him, so he had ordered his guard to keep them alive. The only reason any of the Volturi were killed at all is because Edward heard the tracker's thoughts as he approached, and Alice had a vision he was approaching, too. The two of them killed Jane's twin brother before anyone had a chance to find out what had happened here."

"Jane? The little blond girl? What's her brother able to do?"

"Basically cut off everything, total sensory deprivation, from everyone at once."

"Oh. Shit, glad he decided not to come here. . . ." Embry mumbled under his breath.

I looked around at the practical problem before us. Just as with Emily, we were again left with a mess at the hands of vampires. We couldn't have any more fires, and it wouldn't work anyway. Finding a giant wolf skeleton wasn't going to explain Seth's disappearance. To be honest, I still saw, smelled and felt the heat from Emily's burning body every night when I fell asleep. I wouldn't be able to do anything like that again for the rest of my life.

"Embry?" I called after him. "Can you take Bella back to La Push and talk to my Dad? We need to talk to the council. Make sure no one tells Sue until my Dad knows, got it?"

"Yeah, I got it." Embry reached out, holding his hand out for Bella. "Come on, Bella," he said to her.

"Jake, I want to stay here, with you and Leah."

"You should go, Bells. It's cold up here, and Dad might have questions Embry can't answer. Make sure he knows Seth is still wolf." She nodded, understanding that our job was not complete, and left with Embry.

Collin and I sat on a large boulder, beaten and helpless, watching as Leah sat next to the sandy wolf, stroking his fur and crying silently.

It was the worst birthday I had ever had. No one knew it was my birthday, except Bella and Dad, but they didn't say anything, and neither did I. We weren't going to let anyone know, not when Leah and Sue had already chosen this date for Seth's funeral.

We were far in the forest, in a small, secluded clearing. We couldn't bury him in a cemetery where the remains may be dug up by accident ― never mind the complication of finding some way to discreetly bury a giant wolf in a public place. Seth had been put in the ground a few days ago, in an unmarked grave. Only the council and the pack knew of Seth's death, and we were the only ones there on that day. It seemed fitting that the snow had finally melted, and we were once again inundated with heavy, freezing Washington rain. The day was dark and gray in every way possible.

Seth was reported as a teen runaway. What else could we do? It explained Sue and Leah's obvious grief and Seth's disappearance, but it was a difficult alibi for us to live with. Charlie, just as he had when I disappeared, was incensed about finding Seth. He barely slept the first two days, calling the FBI, trying to get them to take on his case just as they would if he were a six year old. It was heartbreaking enough dealing with the sorrow of our loss without seeing Charlie's desperate attempts to find Seth, and his picture plastered everywhere we went.

A day didn't go by when I didn't bump into one of the guys with tears in his eyes because they saw Seth's picture at the gas station, or the grocery store.

The only good thing that happened was we were relieved from patrol for a few days while we put Seth to rest, and dealt with our grief.

The kid was smart, always thinking about the big picture. Before all the conflict occurred, Seth had asked Edward all sorts of things that would affect us. He found out what the rest of the Volturi in Italy would be doing. According to Edward, and we had no reason to doubt him at this point when Seth was supposedly his "friend" and the battle had already been fought, the ones who had stayed back in Italy had their own problems. There were many who wanted to claim their power and bringing large numbers to La Push to come after us would be too much of a risk. Our pack was big enough that just a few weren't going to do the job, and they probably knew we had already taken out seven of them. They also didn't know that Alice and Edward were dead, which worked in our favor. They would always think that Alice was watching for them, able to know what they planned before they began to execute anything.

Bella and I were in a weird place. She was as distraught as the rest of us over Seth. She had loved him like a brother, and had been so protective when we had lived together. The two of them were friends even before then, too. I knew she shouldered the blame, just the way she always did. I also knew she grieved for the Cullens, but that, she kept to herself. I never asked about it. I understood and accepted it, but I couldn't ask her. There were some things that still stung too much for me to hear, and she knew that, too.

It had been two days since the funeral in the forest, and I had found myself driving aimlessly in Forks. Originally, I had come into town for something, but the reason escaped me now. Without thinking, I turned and drove to Bella and Charlie's house. Her truck was in the driveway, and I could see a light on inside.

"Jacob?" Bella said, as she answered the door. "What are you doing here?"

"I was just in the area and thought I'd drop by, you know. I didn't feel like being alone."

"Come on in," she said, understanding without needing to hear more.

I automatically walked into the living room, sitting down on the coach, looking for the remote control, when I noticed a pile of papers on the coffee table. They were all official, legal papers, and plenty of them. She saw me look over and started grabbing everything in an attempt to hide them from me, but only succeeded in dropping them all over the floor. I bent down to help her, and she grabbed my hands, moving them away.

"Jake, these are my things. I . . . I want to take care of them on my own."

"Okay. I was only going to help you pick them up, but now . . . what is all this?" I asked suspiciously.

We were together, but I still kept her at arm's length. The words her "sister-in-law" had uttered that day still rang in my head. I still heard her as she told us that she saw a future where Bella was a vampire after her return from Montana, and that Bella loved me, _today_.

I kept this to myself. I wanted to ask her, but it never seemed like the right time to have that conversation.

"They're . . . papers related to the Cullens. They left documentation in case they died, so I wouldn't have to remain married to someone that never existed," she stated flatly.

"Oh, how considerate of them," I muttered bitterly. I reached down grabbing a few pages, glancing down at them. Bella snatched them out of my hand, but not before I took a look at what was written on them. "Bells, what's all this stuff about 'transferring of assets'? Your name is on every document here."

She let out a loud sigh in resignation. "They left everything to me."

"What do you mean?"

"Everything. The house, the cars, all their money, everything. It's not like any of them had family. I was the only other person they had a relationship with other than the Denalis."

"So you own the Vanquish now?"

"Ugh! Of all the things you could have had in common with Edward, it had to be cars!"

"I'm surprised you even knew it _was_ a car."

"I only know because I had to read about it!" she shouted, holding up a vehicle registration form.

"So, what are you going to do now that you're independently wealthy?" I asked, my voice dripping with sarcasm and my heart heavy with envy.

"I don't know. I don't want any of it. Maybe I'll just give it all to charity."

"That seems like a waste. Not that there aren't good charities to give to, but you should be able to gain something for your trouble."

"What trouble? I was the one that brought it all on! I'm the least 'troubled' of everyone that's been affected . . . Wait! That's it! Here, you can have it all!" She started handing me papers randomly.

"Hey! As much as I'd like to live Hugh Hefner's life, I don't exactly want to take your smelly inheritance."

"Well . . . then give it to the rest of the pack. They deserve it for everything they've done to protect me and everyone else. And to make up for all the horrible things that have happened."

"Uh . . . Bells? I don't think any of them will take money from bloodsuckers, either. Okay, I take that back. Paul and Quil might take the cars, but yeah, not happening."

"Well . . . some good has to come out of all this!" Bella's eyes were beginning to water as she flopped down on the couch, frustrated. "How can _everything_ be bad? Where's the balance? Where's the silver lining?"

I sat down next to her, putting an arm around her. "Hey, it's okay, Bells. I'll help you figure something out," I said, lifting her chin up so she was looking at me. "And if it means that much to you, I'll take a car and a couple of million, okay?"

She let a small smile creep over her lips as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "Okay, but you're getting the Volvo."

"No way. That's the one car I refuse to ever get into. It's the Vanquish or nothing."

"What is so special about that car, anyway?"

"It's an Aston Martin!"

"And that's. . . ?"

I rolled my eyes, raising my hands up. "James Bond drove an Aston Martin. Does that help you understand how special it is?"

She just shrugged. "It's just a car."

"Yeah, sure, just a car. Okay, so how much are we talking here?"

"More than I know, literally. There's just so much and it's in so many different holdings. They had real estate, stocks, accounts all over the world . . . it's overwhelming. I can't even figure out a number."

"Does Charlie know about all this?" I asked.

"No. He knows I'm not with Edward, but he doesn't know they all died. I don't know how to tell him, but I guess he's going to find out once all this comes into my possession," she said, sweeping across the mess of papers with her hands.

"If you're thinking of getting rid of all of it, he doesn't necessarily need to know. I mean, I'm sure he'd expect some sort of settlement, or something from your . . . er . . . marriage, but not all . . . this. I mean, Edward's parents were supposed to be rich, but he was just a teenager, supposedly, right?" She nodded. "So, how good do you think Charlie's investigatory skills are?"

"I haven't got a clue. He's been kind of preoccupied with . . . you know, lately. I don't think he'd bother looking into any of this, if nothing 'fishy' happened."

"Okay, well, I'm sure we can figure something out."

After three hours of reading, numerous attempts at figuring out interest and dividends, looking up exchange rates for currencies I'd never even heard of, studying tax rates and recording god only knew how many columns of crap, we just threw our arms up and gave up.

"We need help," I announced. It was difficult for me to admit defeat, but this was not meant to be done by two teens. We needed professional help.

"Well I don't know anyone. What am I supposed to do? Just look for someone in the yellow pages?" Bella asked, not trying to hide her irritation.

I shuffled through some of the papers, looking for the one I wanted.

"Here!" I exclaimed, holding up a letter. "These guys are located in Seattle. Let's give them a call. They were good enough for the Cullens. I'm sure they're good enough for us . . . I mean you."

"I bet they're expensive," Bella commented.

"Bells? You have so much money we can't even figure out how much it is. I don't think their fee is going to be a problem."

"I guess . . . okay, but can you call?"

"Really? Not that I mind, but I'm nobody in this whole . . . thing. And I'm a minor. What am I supposed to say? 'Hey, I've got this friend who has this problem, but she's too shy to call herself'?"

"I'm not shy!"

"Okay, then it won't be a problem for you to call them yourself," I retorted, handing her the phone. She scowled but took it from me and started dialling.

It was excruciating listening to her hesitant banter. It was just like listening to Charlie when I lived with him. In the end, she made an appointment to see someone and begged me to come with her. Just like Charlie, she made some lame excuse about how she needed my car, and just like before, I offered to drive her instead of just loaning it to her. How was it that she owned eight of the most expensive cars in town and my Rabbit was the only one adequate enough to make the trip to Seattle?

The drive began in uncomfortable silence. I knew Bella had changed over the last four months, but I didn't know in exactly what way. She was still the girl I loved, and could read better than anyone else, but she had also become a stranger whose motivations and desires were foreign to me.

"So, Jacob," Bella said, breaking the hour long silence. "When are you going to start drilling me?"

"Pardon me?" I asked, feigning ignorance.

She sighed loudly. "I know I've changed, and trust me, it's for the better, but don't pretend you don't know me at all. You know exactly what I'm getting at." She was right.

"Why was pixie dust still seeing you as a vamp after we had lived together?" I blurted out. "From what you told me, it sounded like I was it for you when we . . . separated that night."

"I don't know why she saw that, but it wasn't because of any decision _I_ was considering."

"Well, how else could she have seen that? Are you telling me she was lying because it didn't seem like she was in much of a story making mood at the time."

"No, that's not what I'm saying. Alice sees . . . _used to see_ the future when decisions were made. The . . . instance you're talking about might have been a result of someone else's decision, maybe Edward's. Who knows?"

"What could _he_ have done to make you change your mind, if you had 'supposedly' seen the light?" I asked, as the sour taste in my mouth returned.

"What makes you think it was because _I'd_ change my mind?" she demanded. I just shrugged, looking out at the road in front of me, avoiding her gaze. "Look, I know it's difficult for you to trust me, but could you give me the benefit of the doubt maybe ten percent of the time?" She sighed again before continuing, "Maybe Edward was thinking of all the things _he_ could do to _make_ me stay with him, like turning me against my will. In fact, I'd bet Irina would have wanted to do that to prevent a conflict between the Volturi and her sisters. Or perhaps the Volutri, or anyone really, had considered some course of action that would put me at death's door, forcing the Cullens to either change me or let me die."

I felt bad. Those were all pretty plausible scenarios, but the only thought that had ever occurred to me was that Bella was insincere. Had I been so damaged that I could no longer trust the girl I loved more than anyone else?

"Sorry, Bells," I mumbled, continuing to focus on my driving.

"So?" she asked after a few minutes of silence.

"So, what?" I asked in return.

"Ask me the next question, because we both know there's more." It appeared she was able to read me as well as I could read her.

"I just didn't like hearing the little midget say you were in love with me _today_, like it was something temporary."

Bella shrugged, not even perturbed by my comment.

"She probably thought the same thing as you ― about seeing me as a vampire. Just because she can see the future doesn't mean she knows _why_ she's seeing what she does. Alice can't . . . _couldn't_ read minds, and _no one_ ever read mine."

Again, two points for the girl. I was being beaten by a literal ninety pound weakling.

"So, you're not just here with me because . . . _he's_ not an option anymore?"

"I chose to be with you before any of this. Just because you weren't there to see it happen doesn't mean it didn't. I understand why it's difficult for you to trust me, Jake, and that's okay." She reached over and took one of my hands off the steering wheel, pulling it onto her lap, and holding it in both of hers. "You once told me you could wait for me. Well, now I'm telling you the same thing. You take all the time you need, Jake. I'm not going anywhere. Whenever you're ready, I'll be right here, waiting for you."

I felt a tear well in my eye. I tried to keep it from escaping, keeping my hands as still as I could so she wouldn't see, but she knew me too well. Her hand gently touched my cheek, wiping away the drop that had begun to descend along my face.

"I love you, Jake, and that's never going to change. If it's going to take months, years, or even decades for me to prove that to you, I will. I don't even care if it means I might lose you through imprinting one day. I need you so much, I'll take just friendship, if that's all I can get."

"I'll never imprint, Bells."

"You know, we don't have to have that conversation right now, it doesn't matter anyway."

"No, you don't understand. I _literally_ cannot imprint."

"I don't . . . understand?"

Now _I_ was the one put on the spot. It was time to fess up. I needed to be honest with her, too.

"I've already imprinted, sort of, but the . . . imprintee died and there can be only one for every wolf."

"Oh. May I ask who it was?" she asked. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," she added hastily.

"I don't want to. I _really_ don't want to, and I didn't _really_ imprint the way Sam, Quil or Jared did because I never saw her, but I was . . . uh, in close proximity when she died, which is how I knew my imprint was . . . gone. After Emily died, Sam found out, and he agreed that that was what had happened to me."

"Okay. If you ever want to tell me who she was, I won't freak out or anything, but I respect your need for privacy." _That_ I knew as a lie. She was dying to know.

"So . . . you won't freak out, no matter what?"

"That's right," she answered, trying to sound calm, but the anxious anticipation still seeped through.

"Okay, I'm holding you to that. Just remember, you said you'd be here for me no matter what, right?"

"Right."

I took a deep breath, and exhaled loudly. With my peripheral vision, I could see her big brown eyes staring at my profile, as she waited eagerly.

"It was your . . . uh . . . baby."

"What?" she shouted, dumbfounded. "Are you _kidding_ me? Because it is _not_ funny, Jacob Black! This is _not_ something to crack jokes about!"

"You're freaking out."

Now it was her turn to take a deep breath.

"You're not kidding," she stated flatly.

I shook my head.

"That would have been so screwed up. Makes me wonder if imprinting is supposed to be a good thing, or something that evolved as a weakness or something. You know, like how some animals have weaknesses for population control?"

"Bells, we are not a bunch of rats or something."

"Oh! I wasn't saying . . . I mean . . . Oh, forget it. I take it back with profuse apology," she blurted, stumbling on her words.

Finally I was able to smile and put an arm around her.

"I think we're going to be all right, Bells," I said, pulling her close.

"Yeah, I think so, too," she answered, as she leaned her head against me.

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><p><em>Thank you everyone for reading my story, through the violence, gore and multitude of body parts and corpses. I hope it was entertaining, nevertheless.<em>

_The last update will be on Monday (it won't be minutes before the day officially ends, like this one was), and as always, reviews are greatly appreciated._


	17. Birth

_The story is now officially ending. This is the last chapter. _

_Thank you to my great and patient beta, ShadowPast620 who has been reliable, accurate, honest and polite through the writing process of this entire story. It wouldn't have been the same without her!_

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><p><strong>Chapter 17 - Birth<strong>

They say time heals all wounds, and it did for us. But serious wounds always leave scars, and we had those, too.

Bella and I, with the help of a whole lot of lawyers and accountants, figured out a way to put the money to good use. A foundation was set up with a generic name, and it regularly gave to causes that we felt were worthy. Bella was an "employee" there, and their head office was located in Forks, much to everyone's surprise, providing employment to some of the town's people.

The foundation focused mostly within the state. Some of the causes in our local area that it supported included scholarships for graduates of reservation schools, improving living conditions for those living on reservations, preserving and repopulating the forests and the wildlife within it (I made a point of setting up an awareness program for mountain lions), as well as some green energy initiatives. One of those was an off shore wind farm, a few miles south of La Push. This really brought the whole town, as well as the rest of the rural communities around it, back to life, providing employment and encouraging young people to remain in the area.

We still patrolled, but it wasn't a twenty-four hour, seven days a week task. For years, we had gone without a single bloodsucker coming near our land, not even a nomad. It was like they knew what had happened here, as though we wolves had become a myth to be feared by the vampires because we were the force that had taken down the Volturi.

I wondered sometimes if the ones from Italy were up to something. Bella didn't think they would be doing anything for centuries. I had forgotten about this, but there were thirty-two of them before all this ensued, and now their numbers were reduced to eighteen. More importantly, almost all the ones with special abilities were destroyed. That was why the Cullens never had a chance. With Demetri's return, they were nine against the Denali and Cullen combined eleven, which would have seemed like pretty good odds, but they were missing Jasper, and the Volturi had some hard hitting talent, even without Jane and Aro. In the end, Aro's insistence on wanting Alice and Edward alive was the Volturi's demise, and the Vegetarians' need to look out for and protect each other had made them fall.

The old Cullen house was finally sold and converted into a hunting lodge by the new owners. All the cars were also sold — after the boys and I took several turns joy riding to Seattle and back — and Bella's ring was donated to a museum where it was showcased with a bunch of other Victorian era jewellery.

Charlie never found out about all the money, or the deaths of the Cullens. The leeches were considerate enough to leave forged, albeit still valid, death certificates — complete with records, histories and marked graves in some cemetary in New Hampshire — before the Italians had even stepped foot on the continent. The lawyers — who were aware of Bella's desire to keep that information from Charlie — established the barest minimum they thought would be a believable, supposed settlement. It was enough to pay for Bella's college education and still leave a nice little nest egg for her to get a good start on life.

As for that life, it was with me.

I skirted around cautiously with her at first, convincing myself to just be her "best friend" for a while. Well, being a teenage boy made that pretty damn difficult. It lasted about two months before I eventually caved and almost attacked her one day when she answered the door in a baggy bathrobe, still wet from the shower. Now, we lived together in Forks in a small, brick house on the outskirts of town. Charlie wasn't exactly happy about us not being married, but he kept his opinions to himself, most of the time. I would have preferred it if we were married, too, but I knew Bella wasn't keen about it, so I never asked. Asking would have made her feel like she had to say yes.

As for the rest of the pack? Suffice it to say, with the exception of Collin and Brady, they had all lost at least a year of school, but eventually every one of us graduated from high school and made a point of either going on to college, or a trade school. We were all aware that any one of us could have been Seth, and felt it would dishonor his memory to accomplish less than the very best we were capable of.

Sam came back after six months. He heard that Seth had "run away" and flew home on the first flight he could get, leaving behind the life he had established in New Mexico. The first person he went to see, the day he arrived, was Leah. He never left her side again.

The two of them spent three years as "just friends", then started up a business together in Forks. A year after that, they officially became a couple, and got married within three months.

Today was my twenty-fourth birthday, and I was in Seattle with Bella, getting married. Yup, that's right, here we were with the Justice of the Peace, Dad and Charlie, getting married. No one else knew we were doing this because Bella didn't want to make a big deal. In fact, she was standing next to me in an old pair of jeans and a red blouse. I was pretty sure she purposely chose red to defy convention.

The whole thing really took me for a loop. She just came out and asked me, seemingly out of the blue. The scene had played out just before Christmas. We had been on a last minute shopping excursion in Seattle for presents, and had stopped to grab a bite to eat before the long drive home. The food court was crowded, so we had taken our stuff to the car, and decided to eat in there, for some privacy.

"_How's the lasagne?" Bella asked._

"_Kind of salty, but edible. Not nearly as good as yours. No lasagne comes close to yours," I answered._

"_Hmmm, you think mine is that good?"_

"_Yeah, and not just me, either. Charlie, Dad and all the guys think so, too."_

"_You should probably do something, you know, to make sure you don't lose your supply."_

"_What? Like stock up on noodles or something?"_

"_Well, it's not about the noodles, apparently. It's the cook."_

"_I already live with the cook."_

"_Ah yes, but she has no obligation to stay there."_

"_What are you suggesting, that I chain you to the kitchen? Shall I wait until you're barefoot and pregnant first?"_

_She choked on her drink just then and got into a coughing fit. I put my take out container on my lap and tapped her back gently. Eventually, she stopped and continued in a hoarse voice._

"_Where were we?" she questioned._

"_You, in chains," I replied smugly. She rolled her eyes at me._

"_Maybe we should get married," she stated nonchalantly._

"_Is that a question, directed at me?"_

"_I guess it is."_

_I just sat there, my mouth hanging open and my fork held in mid-hair by trembling fingers. She looked at me, hopeful and silent. Then the smile began to droop, and I saw a little moisture well in her eyes. That's when I realized I hadn't answered her._

"_Yes! Yes! Oh, Bells, don't cry, I was just stunned but my answer is yes, yes, yes!" I shouted._

_Her face turned a bright red, but she wasn't looking at me. Her gaze was directed just over my shoulder, out the window. I turned around and noticed two elderly women looking towards our car disapprovingly. Oh, I guess that was a little loud, and misinterpreted._

"_Hey, Bells? You're not taking it back because I took too long to answer, are you?"_

_She redirected her gaze to me, smiling, as she answered, "Never."_

"_Great! Okay! Uh . . . now what?"_

"_I already filed everything. I need you to sign a few things, but I reserved a time with the Justice of the Peace in Seattle, for your birthday. I hope you don't mind?"_

"_No, my birthday is perfect! I'll never forget our anniversary. Uh, why in Seattle?"_

"_Well, you know what a small town is like. I don't want it to be a big deal."_

"_Okay, can I tell Dad?"_

"_Sure, but just him."_

"_How am I supposed to keep this from the guys?"_

"_Can you avoid phasing between now and your birthday? It's just a few weeks."_

"_I can try . . . but they're all going to whine about me shirking patrol."_

"_Well, luckily you're Alpha."_

"_Yeah, you had to remind me, didn't you? Are you going to tell Charlie?"_

"_Sure. I thought we'd have Billy and him there that day. But I'd like to wait until later to tell them about the baby."_

_Now it was my turn to choke on my drink. After a short, but violent, coughing fit, I croaked out, "Did you just say baby?"_

"_Oh, yeah. I meant to mention it first. That's why I thought it'd be a good idea to get married. Charlie's been cool about us living together, but I think he'd be happier, you know, if his grandchild was legitamite." _

_I noticed a pink flush creeping up her cheeks._

"_Ah, yeah, sure. And here I thought you wanted to get married because I was so irresistable," I said, smirking. The pink flush was now downright red. "So, have you known long?"_

"_Well, I'm about ten weeks along," she stated matter of factly, avoiding my eyes._

"_Ten weeks! You've known for more than two months without saying anything to me? How come I didn't smell anything or hear the baby?"_

"_Jake, the baby is about the size of a pea. I doubt there's much to hear, or smell, for that matter."_

"_Okay, but seriously, ten weeks?"_

"_I wanted to be sure."_

"_Okay, so now you're sure. Sheesh!"_

"_And I'm ten weeks along. That doesn't mean I've known for ten weeks. It does take a little while to find out."_

_That's when I started counting back. Bella wasn't on the pill because the hormones made her nauseous, so we used condoms, except . . ._

"_Hey, that means this happened–"_

"_I know," she interjected._

"_But you said you had just finished your period the day before!"_

"_I know, but sperm can live a few days inside the body."_

"_Yeah, but you said there was almost two weeks or something before you ovulated."_

"_About nine days, but yes, a while in any case."_

"_But, how's that possible?"_

"_I guess your little wolfie swimmers can live a little longer than the regular kind."_

_I knew it was ridiculous, but I felt pretty smug just then._

"_Jacob Black, wipe that smile off your face. This is a stupid thing to be smug about!"_

"_What can I say, Bells? I'm a guy," I replied, and went back to finishing my lasagne._

The ceremony was short and to the point, but beautiful all the same. I slid the very thin gold band (it was the only ring she agreed to wear) on her finger, kissed her when the justice told me to, and hugged both our fathers. Neither of them knew about the baby. No one knew, yet.

Afterwards, we left the courthouse, had some lunch, and drove back to La Push, to Sam and Leah's place. I noticed Bella slipping the ring into her pocket, just as we reached the door. She saw me looking and shrugged.

"It's not my moment. It wouldn't be fair to announce anything today," she stated.

"Yeah, I know you're right," I replied, hiding my disappointment.

"Hey, Jake?" I looked down at her, and she reached up, placing her hand on my face. "We'll tell everyone tomorrow, okay?" I nodded, and she smiled. "I love you so much that I'd get 'Mrs. Jacob Black' tattooed on my forehead, if that's what you wanted."

"Well, if you're offering. . . ."

She slapped my arm playfully, "Stop being such a child and ring the doorbell already!"

We walked into a very crowded house. The whole pack was there, along with Sue and Sam's mom. The table was covered with food, and the room was decorated with balloons and streamers.

Bella walked straight to Leah, in the large armchair, bending down to give her a hug so Leah wouldn't have to get up. It had taken years, but the two of them were friends again.

"How are you feeling, Leah?" she asked.

"Great. Well, a little sore, but still great," she shifted, holding out her arms — and their contents — toward Bella. "Do you want to . . . ?"

"Oh, I . . . I don't know . . . I mean, I don't think I know how. . . ." Bella stammered.

"It's a baby, you pansy, not a nuclear bomb! Here, he's all bundled up and can't move. The worst that'll happen is he might spit up on you. Come on, he's getting heavy."

Heavy, who was Leah kidding? Sam told me he and Leah still had most of their strength and ran a little hot, even though he hadn't phased in seven years, and she hadn't in three. We all thought that was because the ability to phase was still within them, should the need ever arise.

"Okay . . ." Bella hesitantly put her arms out, and Leah plopped the blue, swaddled bundle into them. "So, Jake said you hadn't thought up a name yet?"

"Actually, we were waiting for the two of you to get here before we told everyone," Sam answered.

"You mean this whole time the kid had a name and you didn't tell any of us?" Embry called from the buffet table.

"Don't get your shorts in a knot. We only decided on it this morning," Leah threw out.

"So? What are you waiting for, a drum roll?" Quill asked.

Leah looked up at Sam, who was leaning into her, sitting on the armrest of the chair. He looked down at Leah, stroked her long, black hair and smiled, nodding his head.

"Well, Bella," Leah announced, "you're holding Seth Henry Clearwater Uley.

I moved closer to Bella, hovering just behind her, looking down at the baby. He was beautiful, his eyes already open. His skin was fair, for a Quileute, but his hair was jet black and his eyes were a deep, warm brown.

"His face . . ." I began to say, looking down at the angelic baby in Bella's arms. Long eyelashes brushed the smooth skin of his face, as his pink lips pursed, as though ready to kiss someone.

"I know," Bella whispered, in reply. "He has the . . . purest, sincerest, _kindest*_ face I've ever seen, just like everyone I've known named Seth."

* * *

><p><em>I've had a few people ask so I decided to answer here, for all to read. There will be no sequel, no epilogue (this actually was sort of one, depending on how you look at it, but I liked this title), and no out-takes of any sort. Sorry. For me, this story is finished. It was Jacob's story, told from his point of view, and it shall remain that way. To go into someone else's head and examine some detail that was not elaborated here would make me feel as though I am telling Jake his story just wasn't good enough.<em>

_I hope all of you have enjoyed this story, and a special thank you to those faithful reviewers who have regularly commented on my updates._

_Of course, that doesn't mean I wouldn't appreciate a review from anyone else! I'd love to hear from you, whether you've reviewed before or not!_

_If you'd like to see what else I have written, go to my profile page and you will see links for all my fics there._

_*these adjectives were spoken by Edward Cullen on page 343 of Breaking Dawn_


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